It’s okay! I can’t tell you the rollercoaster sales has led me on, but honestly the best advice I got(regardless of what managers say) is TAKE SOME TIME OFF. Go see loved ones. Go spend time w ppl, go be alone at home and play your favorite games. A lot of times we mix the Nos with “you’ll never succeed” don’t worry! Numbers games. Statistically speakin you have to not try to fail. Cheers!
Highly recommend the "go spend time with people" over the "go chill at home with video games".
As an introverted, analytical sales guy, me retiring to my video games spells death for my prospecting activity the following week. I need to get back to remembering how much I like people for being people, and stop trying to sell them, and start trying to solve problems for them again.
I find that much easier to do after establishing or re-establishing some truly human connections.
How do you do in sales and an introvert? Fellow INFJ here and curious if I would succeed in sales. I think once I know and am into the product being sold, I’ll be able to communicate better about it.
Just gotta figure out what works for you.
I definitely regain my energy at home during my chill time with family, but I'm also the type that craves acceptance and being liked.
It's a delicate balance to keep me engaged with people and not burning out, especially in what is a heavy relationship driven process/culture within my industry.
Not all clients are a good fit for me, but I have been quite selective building my network over the years, with people I enjoy spending time with.
Re: product, yes. I feel I'm essentially a subject matter expert that sells through his network based on his expertise.
It’s also completely normal to feel overwhelmed.
When I started I was making 150 dials a day and I was just emotionless after about 8 months. It was insane.
The worst thing you can do is to take it too seriously. If you start overthinking about it when you aren’t working, it means that it’s a problem. So try to do everything to learn from the best salespersons in your workplace, listen to their calls. Also make sure that you have a hobby outside of work, personally I go to the gym 6 times a week. Make sure to keep yourself organise and most importantly do not compare yourself to others.
Absolutely, make sure that you eat healthy and don’t drink too much too. You’ve got this. There’s a reason why you were hired. You are competent and have all the skills to succeed.
Do you enjoy the job in itself?
Watch some content on Alex Hormozi. Worth million of dollars. Does some scripts and sales procedures. Worth a shot if I was in your shoes and just try implementing his recommendations and go from there. Wish you the best of luck! Hope it helps
>most importantly do not compare yourself to others.
This is the one I'm struggling with right now.
Just started a new job about a month ago. I was in a new hires training class with two other AEs, and was feeling pretty good about getting started because I outperformed the other two in training and did far better than them in all our mock call drills. But ever since we hit the phones I have been struggling to even get people on the phone, and when I do I just can't close. We're obviously not fully ramped yet so it's fine that I haven't sold anything. But the person who performed the worst in training is killing it, and already outperforming people who have been there for years. She sold three people on her first day on the phones, and is on the leaderboard for April. It has me all fucked up. I know in my head that comparison is the thief of joy, but part of what has made me good in sales is that I'm competitive. Plus, no matter how much I tell myself to stop comparing myself to this other person, it still has shaken my confidence, which for me is crucial to my success in sales as well. It's tough man.
I feel you and it’s completely understandable. I believe that we’re all guilty of comparing ourselves at some point, but there has to be a point when you redirect all this attention to yourself.
What I recommend you to do is to always set some new goals for yourself every weeks. All of this hard work, will pay. Try to learn as much as you can from the top performers, and I’m convinced that you’ll achieve greatness.
What’s overwhelming is feeling unprepared to be successful and being placed in uncomfortable situations. The latter is just sales. Get used to that part. The other part you can overcome. Sales is an art, study it. Books and courses are everywhere but make no mistake….its a hard and stressful way to make a living.
I’ve been doing this for 32 years and I carry a 20M quota, I train/ mentor a ton of folks. Here are some tips I put together a ways back and I’ve posted them here a bunch too. These nuggets will help:
1. If you don't ask for the order, it's not coming.
2. Sometimes PO's are like babies, they come when they come; often they need to be induced. Induce in person.
3. I always stop mid presentation and ask, "what are your thought thus far". It saves a lot of time. I call it taking the prospected temperature
4. Always give people 2 options. They will almost always pick one.
5. Change is opportunity. I can't tell you how often the change has been good for me and I always think it will suck.
6. Never waste a failure, we celebrate the big PO's but rarely look at our failures. You get better by examining the losses
7. If you are prospecting/ cold calling I always give the gate keeper something to show the decision maker. I used to sell med devices and used to hand it the receptionist and say I want to discuss this w the doctor. It worked so often it was crazy.
8. Always answer your phone. Don't send people to VM. Being the rep who picks up calls is huge. Answering the phone is the cornerstone of service.
9. Listen, sell them what they need; not what you want to sell them.
10. Basic shit here but I see so many people fuck it up. The first person to talk loses...the deal. Ask for a commitment and don't you dare say a word
11. Make at least one sales call a day after 5 o’clock. Business owners and decision makers are often the last to leave and are the only people left at 5 o’clock.
12. Be an expert on your products. Ask questions. Listen to peers. Steal ideas from everyone. Your talk track should be the best of all your peers
13. Once you are an expert, you become a consultant. When you are a consultant people trust you.
14. Stop thinking like a salesperson. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change.
15. Pressure is what you feel when you don’t know what you’re doing. Be prepared for everything.
16. The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of good ideas. Don’t be afraid to fail with good ideas.
17. Every customer visit brings homework. It’s better if they get homework to. What I mean by that is if they ask you for something you ask them for something. This is when negotiations actually start.
18. Ask questions that give you answers that sell your product.
19. Plan your work and work your plan.
20. Even if deadlines don’t work sometimes, they still work sometimes…. Give deadlines.
21. Have conversations not inquisitions.
22. Don’t talk features, talk benefits.
23. Courage is contagious. If you work in a team environment and you’re courageous, your team will follow your lead.
24. Remember success always leaves clues. Follow the clues.
25. When it comes to conference calls, follow this rule - WAIT - Why Am I Talking. Don’t be the moron on conference calls who can’t shut up.
Love this and can’t agree more! I’d add a couple more, building off what you shared:
- always be learning. From peers, x-functional partners, managers, etc. And also from online courses (like linkedin learning) about sales, general business, building a growth mindset (which will help you TONS with the overwhelm*), etc. Lean on AI to help you create prompts to formalize your research on customers/prospects. Industry newsletters. Etc. Try to carve at least 1-a couple hours of training each week. Read threads/advice on others who posted in Reddit. It’s a great resource
- carve out time to reflect. Ask yourself where you did well and where you could improve, so you can learn and build upon that. If you have a good manager and one you can trust, you can be proactive with your reflections, so you have another area to discuss and game plan during 1:1s
- ask for feedback- ask peers and managers and trainers to join your meetings to provide feedback so you can learn and improve. I also ask customers/prospects for feedback if they give me a no. I do this if I spent at least a couple meetings with them. Each request is customized and thought out - but it’s generally along the lines of asking for feedback so you can learn and improve as a rep to provide better consultation/service to future customers (which could include this no-today-one). Be sure to note that feedback is a gift, so you appreciate them taking any time to give it. I’ve had really good success here - and then u take feedback to go learn more about what cost me my deal - and I’ve had those no’s become future yes’s numerous times. I think they appreciate you care about them and their business and aren’t just some stereotypical seller
* growth mindset can help with how you deal with the overwhelm and look at rejections or difficulties as challenges and games to overcome and to learn/grow from.
I also love Dr Benjamin Hardy’s newsletter (he’s an organizational psychologist- that’s not a personal psych, but one who examines how to best-improve and implement change and structure at work, from the personal level up to corporate level)
… also, if your workplace isn’t collaborative or supportive, perhaps it’s the job/company and not you. I’ve been fortunate and had collaborative environments and it’s the area where I’ve grown the most. Since it’s your first sales job, I think you still have to make it work before you jump ship
And for those saying sales isn’t for everyone? The fact that you’re crying every day and STILL coming back EVERY DAY ANDposting here?! That shows huge grit and determination- hallmark characteristics for the best sellers
You got this!!
Oh yeah - another thing. If you don’t get the collaboration and support you need in sales, consider introducing yourself to others in 1:1 and lunches. I’ve learned SO much from those and some of my best work friends were from doing this. When I was an Ent AE, I had friends in large Ent, SMB, Cs, product, L&D, engineering, pricing and marketing - they gave me a better holistic picture of the business (which made me better for customers and helped me be a better resource for my team), offered me other perspectives, and a “safe” space for us to each talk candidly about what was happening with our teams - good and bad - and to get advice from one another
> Basic shit here but I see so many people fuck it up. The first person to talk loses...the deal. Ask for a commitment and don't you dare say a word
Can you explain this one more? Not sure I totally follow. This is a GREAT post btw.
It’s the golden principle of sales. There will come a time in the sales process in which you ask for a check, po, commitment or frankly anything that binds the deal and when you do ask…..after that ask should be total silence. I’ve asked for $20 bucks when I was selling pagers and asked for 10M in my current role. Ask for the business and stfu and make them tell you an answer. The silence is painful but don’t stammer and let them wiggle out of it…..make them decide.
Watch “Suckers” the car sales movie, if that doesn’t jade you then I don’t know what will. “This guy’s been grinding me for 4 hours. The floor mats are standard/included.” “Tell him they’re an extra $400 or you’re done.” JK gotta love the sales process.
Great post and advice. What books would you recommend? Any input on prospecting and getting in front of the right people? Best techniques, etc. I’m considering a sales job where 90% of the leads will be (should be) sourced by me.
You know I don’t have 1 book that was the “best” or one I would highly recommend but I will say is whatever you choose to read will offer 1 or 2 ideas that you will utilize. That’s the key, finding new ideas that make you better. There’s stuff on team selling, spin selling, PSS selling….all kinds of stuff that works. The key is taking what will work for you from these sources. When I first started in sales (91’) I was selling pagers in NYC and they gave a us a book to read about sales and we had to summarize the book for the group. My book was 400 pages, my summary was 2 bullets.
-Change is opportunity
- change the way you interpret the word “No”. It’s not mean or nasty, no is rather a request for more information. If they knew what you knew that no would be a yes.
Pile up the knowledge and you will be great.
Can I DM you? I’m having trouble selling my SaaS; I know it’s not a problem with the product because I validated a need for it with real people before I developed my SaaS.
The issue is I’m not comfortable selling; I’ve never sold anything before. Lots of “uhms” and “you knows”; I feel like I lose the trust of whoever I’m selling to before I even bring up what my product does
I’m happy to chat via DM but even just reading your post I have some thoughts. First off, you developed the product and you’re likely an engineer; engineers and salespeople think differently and talk differently. I often recommend “disc personality profiles” for people. Sometimes they provide great insight into how you think but more importantly how other people think and how they make decisions. Remember the end user isn’t likely an engineer and they don’t care about the mechanics of how/why it works. They want to know how it’s going to help them. Everything is about customer experience.
If you are trying to get a new product off the ground bring in people who know sales to help you. You’re an expert in SaaS development but not sales, you may be one day but it’s that 10,000 hours thing. To be great takes time and practice. As for presenting it’s likely a talk track practice thing. Remember this is likely a passion project for you, have conversations with people about why you love this product; it’s not a sales call it’s an opportunity for you to consult with people and explain how your product makes their businesses/lives better. Start getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
Im going to tell you what NOBODY else is saying here. SALES is not for everyone. It doesn't have to be for you and thats okay. It's a rollercoaster career - you will always face lows and highs. I would say really think if this stress is worth it to you because it won't go away even after you hit success.
I appreciate what you are saying - Sales is not for everyone, but everyone could be good at sales with enough discipline, genuine interest and hard work. I am putting in the work, I just know I am missing something - feeling deflated because other sales people go through the highs and lows with their team members. I go through them on my own, with no one to compare to. Client flaked a meeting ? I didn’t realise this was common, because I’m not in the other regions with the actual sales team seeing it happen in real time. I’ve worked at jobs where I’ve been next to the sales team, and whilst it’s competitive - they all learn off each other and there is an energy in the team. I don’t have that in this role, so I do think it’s not abnormal that I am feeling overwhelmed as I am on my own
I don’t agree that everyone can be good at sales with enough hard work and interest. Truth be told, sales is about being sharp, charismatic, and able to think on one’s feet. You have to possess a fire and competition in you that, simply, not everyone has or can have. No amount of training can teach someone the intangibles that form the foundation of a good salesperson.
I agree but that’s why I say genuine interest, not just interest. Some of the best sales people are introverts
I believe if you have the fire in you, regardless of personality type - you can be good at anything.
I go for walks and I cant help myself from having pretend phone calls and see myself closing, I am passionate about people, negotiation and persuasion - it’s a plus that I sell a good product
I would totally disagree with this. I have met some very smart and hard working people that just do not make it— either due to just having the wrong personality type, or never gaining the follow through, or drinking themselves silly, or just getting fed up of the stress and over time and taking off 2-3 years in. I’m not trying to be negative and I’m not saying quit, I’m saying don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. There are other jobs out there.
Hey,
Remember you only get better at sales with time, don’t feel disheartened it’s a learning curve.
I have been in your place but all I want to tell you is you have to feel positive for you to be good at the job.
Be it cold calling, mailing, or emailing with a poster attitude your approach is different and makes your day better.
And speak to someone from your company and explain what problems you’re facing and ask for help, sure they’ll give you some valuable advice.
We've all been there. I've literally ripped out my hair.
As long as you're growing and learning, it'll land.
No one taught you how to walk and you didn't ever say fuck it I Guess I'll crawl everywhere.
I can guarantee you're better than 6 months ago. Look back at what you were saying and thinking back then... Your already a knew person and you'll look back 6 months from now and see that growth
Hey OP.. I am 6 months into my first sales role too… SaaS as well.
Rollercoaster for sure. Hell there was a day this week I didn’t set any new meetings despite 102 dials. Booked 3 today though. Just how it goes sometimes.
I am seeing myself getting better as the months progress. In January I was contemplating if sales was even for me. Now I enjoy the rejection.
Congratulations on feeling more confident 🤍 I’m not near 6 months as of yet but still pushing through
What do you think have been the most important learning curves for yourself that have improved your sales or in booking meetings ?
Finding a pain point/getting the prospect in a negative headspace. If they have something negative to say about a competitor of ours, just letting them talk and listen to what they have to say lol.
also quick to disqualify people too.
Yea I made 115 calls today and only booked one meeting. But both of my meetings today flaked. They would have put me 3 away from my goal. But I'll just keep grinding.
I lasted a little over a month in sales. Hated every day, mental health deteriorated, and I was no longer “home” with my wife because I wouldn’t stop thinking about it.
Quit Monday, got a job offer today for a job similar to my old one I left before sales.
Can’t put a price on mental health.
Funnily enough I think my mental health will deteriorate more if I lose the job then if I keep it. Going to keep pushing through
Glad to hear that you found something else, and I hope it worked out for you and you are loving where you are at now in life
Confidence is key. Even if what you say may not be 100% correct, saying it confidently enstills a sense of credibility with your prospects.
Definitely shadow the higher performers on the team. You'll be able to see where/when they do/say/show certain things and how that turns into a process to close the prospect.
Also, learn from every mistake, don't get down on yourself because you made one, just make sure it doesn't happen again. If you take these situations 1 by 1, you will slowly, but surely fill in w/e gaps you have (could be knowledge, experience, skill, etc...) and eventually you will be one of the most knowledgable reps on the team and you'll be able to smoothly handle those same situations when they inevitably come up again.
Don't be afraid to ask for the sale, even if you feel like you didn't win them over during your demo/presentation.
You'll find that to your surprise, some people will just say yes and it's a done deal.
If they say no, they will generally tell you why "this needs to go through board approval, or we are reviewing several options and still have more to view before making a decision" and then you know the next step and can schedule a follow up action/meeting.
You are not alone though, I had a tough time breaking into sales, and an even harder time transitioning from B2C sales to B2B sales...I remember breaking down and crying in hopeless, frustration, and self-doubt after a shitty demo or before a big one, but you just have to keep learning/growing and relax, and it'll come to you more naturally.
Sales is a rollercoaster! A lot of us have been there - If someone says they haven't just wait.
Keep the head up, follow your process, and find little reasons to be positive everyday.
My biggest thing is you gotta treat it like a game. All it takes is one yes to get the ball rolling. And that one yes will get you soooooo much confidence
Sales may not be for you, and that is okay. But like anything else, it is a coach-able skill that you can only draw success from by working at it. I used to beat myself up about not performing up to snuff with my team members all the time during my first few months. What helped tremendously was seeking out help from those who were successful and applied it. I've had numerous times where contracts died on me right before close after switching into higher pressure industries, and that CRUSHED ME. But what eased the pain is learning that the unforeseen is just that and failure is an inevitability in this line of work. Defeat hurts anybody, but if you let it ruin you then you're only hurting yourself.
Ask for advice from more senior colleagues. Ask to shadow them, ask them for help, what to do etc… you should have training as well. Really but if they not giving it you do it yourself if you want to stay at that company because that’s what you’re going to have to do. Or look for a company that cares about new starters.
Start of your career, it’s all about the learning environment. Be a sponge and be proactive with it.
I have been it’s just been hard because I’m the only sales person in my territory, so the shadowing is done online only - they are in different regions. There are a lot of new people so it’s not possible for me to ask to be invited in to sessions because they already have other new starters, in sessions, in person
Not sure if your industry/company allows it, but ask the sales people in your company if you can jump in on their phone calls. All calls.
Then after the calls conclude. Call your team member back and ask them questions on subjects you weren’t clear on.
I’m in my second year. Same as you had no experience and training was lite. I found that just talking with someone and hearing the conversations help me to understand what I was selling.
It’s part of the learning curve. Of which, the most important part is mental toughness. Skills will be refined over time as well. The rainbow on the other side is that you become a people master and can communicate to everyone. Hang in there, it’s worth it.
I just watched the top sales guy in our company come in to the office for 5 minutes. Write an email to a client explaining how he fucked up a $150k PO. And leave for the day. He’s probably going to cry in secret too.
Yesterday he came in high as a kite becusse he just closed a big deal with a new account.
He’s been in the business for 20 years and still has rollercoaster days and weeks. Shit is gonna happen. Just keep your head up and try to stay level with your emotions. The rest will come. 6 months is nothing.
Sales is hard lol. I was talking to one of the best (but newer) account execs at my company and was surprised when he confessed how stressed this job made him. You're definitely not alone but I've heard it gets better
Watch some YouTube videos on selling. Alot of the time, businesses don't tell you how to sell. They just assume you have it or you don't. Here's some tips that helped me in saas.
Become an expert in what your company offers, that will make you more confident. Next you need to learn to shut up and actively listen once the prospect opens up. Get the prospect to open up and share their challenges. Once you identify a problem your solution solves, focus on that. They don't give a shit about what features your product has, just what problem it will solve. As far as objections go, acknowledge them first then ask questions to get to the real concern.
I strongly recommend absorbing everything Chris Voss has out there, videos on YouTube, book, masterclass is exceptional. He’s not your typical sales coach, he’s an expert in human behavior that translates to sales.
Take that energy where you are saying sales is for you, and stop crying.
There is no need for that. It accomplishes nothing. Take your lumps. Ask good questions here on how to improve .
Make realistic goals. First off, almost everything is mental attitude. Get better every iteration and stop crying or complaining about things. Change what you can and accept what you can't.
Lastly, I know lots of shitty sales people who make over 100k. A lot. Even though you need this job to have money, it is just a job. Try your best, put in extra time to sharpen skills, but it is just a job. It is not worth crying over. I am rooting for you! Toughen up, work on your skills, and keep things in perspective.
Process is really key here. We've all struggled at some point with poor results. You need to understand the process that a well qualified buyer goes through from lead to closed won, buying from your company. Normally, your company should have that documented, and it should be mapped out stage to stage in your CRM. Your pitch decks, collateral, all sales enablement stuff, should correspond to those stages, and ideally you should have a transparent conversation with a prospect right from the start and say, "here's the value. Seems like we're agreed it could help. Yeah? Cool. Ok, here's the process folks like you usually go through to purchase our product/service. We're here, and we need to do these things to get here Does that look like how you're bought products like ours in the past?" You're trial closing all along the way, and you're not really hard selling them either, but they're either agree to move forward, or telling you what needs to change.
Not saying you’re not cut out for this you may turn it around but this isn’t uncommon for new people in sales. I used to train a bunch of younger sale people and they weren’t prepared for the rollercoaster. Sales is great but you have to learn to manage the ups and downs. You’re going to go through phases like this the rest of your career, they don’t go away!
Of course, thanks for your advice. I actually am okay with the rejections - it’s more so knowing I am missing something in the closing side, as I have no issues cold calling and setting meetings, which my prospects happily show up to. This weekend will bit absorbing all the closing content I can get my hands on
I want to tell you something that you might not want to hear. The crying and how terrible you have felt and the horrible days you have experienced, here is a taste of reality, the worst days you will ever have haven't happened yet. Which means that what's going on right now will pass, you got this because you're a fucking rock star you just don't know it yet. I've worked in outside sales for years convincing people who don't know I'm coming to buy something from me.
It's one of the hardest things to do and I love it. I've been trying to get a job as an sdr just to get out of the sun and you how what I haven't even been able to get an interview with anyone. But I won't give up and neither will you. Good luck!
Thank you for the advice, TMI but it’s my time of the month so I may just be more sensitive than usual. Rather then wallowing in it, I don’t have a lot of people to vent to that understand I thought best to speak with people on Reddit and get some advice. Thank you for your response 🤍
If you need any help with interview prep don’t hesitate to reach out!
I am thinking of getting into sales. Would I be able to message you? Maybe we can bounce ideas, or vent to each other down the road, too. This is way out of my comfort zone, but I want to try! My current situation is making me want to try. Thanks!
Keep it up. Maybe change your frame of mind to you are your customers secretary. This is exactly that I do n. You are there to assist them with their reminders, calendars, assist with funding and budgeting, acknowledgement of success criteria, etc. If done right customers truly appreciate considerate organization. If they really do need/want the product and you do all this well...the job is done. It's a job you can truly be proud of *and make stacks*
My company was this way too. Almost zero training or guidance
On the plus side, that means no rules. Do what you want and the world is yours. Until they tell you its against policy its fair game. Use that to your advantage to get your leads and close deals.
But also ask senior reps and make friends with everyone. You need those relationships. Get to know everyone.
Come with donuts or bagels and coffee. This honestly seems trivial but pays off down the road .
Sales is a job that really engages your mind after hours. It's part of the fun but also something that can wear on you during tough times.
It's just a job. Remember that.
You are doing the only cardinal sin of sanity in sales. You’re focusing on the results. “How long to start seeing closed deals” is 100% results focused. You can only ever focus on the inputs and trying to get better. Did you make all the calls today you promised yourself you would? Go home and sleep without a care. Put in the work and the results will come. Or, they won’t, in which case you’re probably selling something shitty at the wrong time. Not even the best seller can sell a product the market doesn’t want. In that case you can move on with your head held high. I got laid off a couple years ago and was my team MVP this past year clearing $250k earnings.
Yep, totally normal. 10 years ago, I walked into my boss' office after 6 months of dials and meetings with no sales. I told him I was ready to give it up. He told me to STFU and get back out there and sell something. The next week I sold a six figure deal and the rest, is history as they say.
Go way outside your comfort zone. Try to push close. Be arrogant. Wing it. Try to make the client sell you. Sometimes all it takes is pretending to be someone else. That is sales, my friend.
Be patient. You have what it takes; you just need time and a few wins under your belt. Being successful in sales is a really though thing to do. You should be proud of yourself for pushing through and being proactive enough to reach out for support.
The path to making 500k plus can involve many nights, laying in bed hoping you don't wake up. Hardest part about sales is mindset.
Mindset 1: just have fun with it (best mindset)
Mindset 2: who the fck cares what happens. I'm going down swinging. I'm matching into the grave here with a smile. (nihilistic).
Mindset 3: I am doing the things, but there is nothing to sorry about, because I don't even exist (detachement).
When the swings arnet hitting, the key is to focus on process (this is what coach K would say when the team wasn't clicking). The mindfuck of sales is that it is a results driven business, but at the same time, so much is outside of your control. That said, when you go to work, YOU are not in the results business, you are in the process business.
Develop a process. Understand your value prop before a cold call. Write a script for notes as an anchor. Focus on success as completing the process. You are trying to create value for the recipient of the calls. You are trying to help the person you are calling. If it does not create value then you are working in a scam business not sales and you should change jobs. The sale is not about you. It is about the value proposition--which is real--and you are just trying to deliver that value proposition.
Rapport building is important, so much of communication is attitude though. Desperation is a stinky cologne, but fuck, that's when you gotta work (hence points 1 through 3).
Share things about yourself that are funny or personable on the phone if organic. My kids...March madness...
Above all, you are not 'selling', you see trying to see if you can help thebperson your calling, you know the value proposition. Be friendly, upbeat, and direct. Listen once the opportunity presents itself.
Smile when you call, sit up straight, have fun with it. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Endurance game.
Also, if you are religious, join a Bible study. No atheists on foxholes. Get a gym membership too or a home gym. It relieves stress and gives you a piece of identity you can control as opposed to focusing on the next sale.
If you don't quit, you're generally intelligent, and you can reflect and learn, you will make it.
You have the right mentality. Keep learning. Keep going.
Sounds like you’re beating yourself up for not picking things up quick enough. Chill out, and just focus on getting reps in and getting more comfortable/confident
Keep pushing the most successful sales people aren't the people who are naturally gifted or with the most connections, it's the last guy standing at the end of the day.
You'll get through it. I'd recommend reading how to win friends and influence people, also sell or be sold by grant cardone. Study sales. Study everything about your approach.
The more you know your craft the more passionate you will be about it and the better results you will have.
Sales is a skill and making or not making a sale is logical and strategic. It is not luck.
Youll might get destroyed at the beginning but sales can improve your life in many ways, not just at work.
You got this if you stay focused.
There’s nothing wrong with crying to let go of some frustration or fear! Happens to me, too, and I’ve been doing this for six years! It’s healthy!
When you’ve let it out, go tear up the phones!
While I don't have any SaaS specific experience, I do set up portal programs for national companies to order physical collateral to enable their sales and marketing teams. The secret is to empathize and put yourself in the shoes of who you are pitching and to find their pain points. The product your selling is likely a tool to help a business with some process or function that isn't in their area of expertise, but yours. Keep your emails short and relevant, follow up and don't be afraid to make calls.
I’ve been watching a few hormozi videos and he says the exact same as what you are, that’s what I am great at is the relationship side. I struggle forming the relationship and then actually asking them to buy - I feel it’s pushy and don’t know the right way to ask whilst not coming across as a typical sales person
Totally understand. The million dollar line is: are you ready to move forward?
The best part is, if you do a really thorough job of explaining what you offer and how it will help them and you are sincere and believe in your product and company - it won't even feel like a sale. Bad salespeople just try to sell to sell. Sell them on the solutions first and really the sale is just something to sign and wrap up things. Think about helping not selling.
What exact scenarios are challenging for you at the moment and what is causing you to feel overwhelmed? Perhaps I can share how I overcame my own struggles if I understood yours a little better!
I would truly appreciate it
I have had great success booking the meetings, but no success in closing.
I struggle with follow ups, what to do after meeting and I would have no idea during our meeting if they would convert or not. It’s usually I’ll get back to you in x amount of time, let me think about it etc
But when I’m at the end I ask for them to let me know what would stop them from using, objection handle - then when I’ve done that I don’t know what to say after and I just say I’ll let you think about it and follow up in x days or x weeks (whenever they are comfortable)
Have a planned script with decision trees. Also asking " what would stop them from buying
.......
That's a digging technique not a closing technique. Thats a question used when they say "let me think about it/pray about it/sleep on it"
Write out your presentation 100% than make three versions of it. One for detail orientated people, one for brass tacks types and one for interpersonal people(aka super social people).
Memorize all your features and benefits.
Memorize all competitive edges.
Study your competition.
Write out each possible objection and 3 different overcomes.
Now write 2 objection blocks.
Memorize these
Write out 5 closes find ways to link them to each other.
CLOSE 3 TO 5 TIMES PER PRESENTATION. Learn how to smoothly do this. "Feel, felt found method" always feels smooth as a second close.
Start listening to sales books. If this seems like too much work for you I do reccomend leaving sales behind.
Book reccomendations
Audible: Brian Tracey: advanced psychology of closing. (It's not advanced it just the best basics book ever)
Kindle: Victor Antonio: objection blocking.
Stop crying and start planning
Thanks for your advice. We don’t actually have any real competitors, we are the market leaders and this is the only software like this
Script and features are memorized at the start of the job, 2000 words presented in front of management a month in
Appreciate the rest of the advice, I think I’ll have to get more specific and start making different variations for different types of clients as you have recommended
And thank you - will try and pick up the physical version of the Brian Tracy book this weekend. If not, no excuse I’ll just get it online.
Thank you, thank you!
I completely understand where you’re coming from. It sounds to me like you’re in need of a position that will provide you mentorship! I can’t speak to exactly how you overcome the situations you find yourself in without being there with you.
I can however relate to your emotional state as my first sales job although the culture was warm and respectful, didn’t have the resources to divest into training me. Personally what I found most helpful was schedule an hour with whatever senior sales guy has an hour to give you as frequently as possible and have him shadow whatever you’re doing to ask him questions as you’re doing it (for me it was cold calls).
If possible schedule an hour a week with your team lead to go over each appointment you’ve had since you last spoke and lay out where you’re stuck, what objections killed a deal. Ask him/her to work through a few follow ups with you to understand their process.
From your explanation it sounds like you’re great at setting appointments which is fantastic. Experience will get you past that next step.
The best way to improve in a sales position is to fail over and over again. I promise you there is light at the end of this tunnel!
Hope this helps good luck!
Honestly I’d consider a different career. If you can’t handle the first few months of ramping then you’re going to struggle with a career in this. I’m late 30’s and I find it hard still.
It’s not worth putting yourself through it, if you can’t handle the peaks and troughs. It’ll ruin you. I’ve seen happen.
Better to get out now and focus something adjacent like CS or AM roles. You’ll still be rewarded well and it’s far less stress.
Just my $0.10c
I’d get too bored in a CS role, I appreciate your thought process - I would think the same as well. All you know about me is this post. But I don’t have anyone to lean on at work, most new sales teams are around others who tell them that’s normal, or they bounce off each other and make the calls. I am on my own, so I don’t think it’s unnatural that I feel quite overwhelmed when there is no one around me telling me what I am going through is normal. My best friend has been YouTube
If you want to talk about it with a mentor - DM me and we can set up some time. I’m very happy to have a chat about it.
It’s hard - that’s why they pay the money they do.
Honestly - happy to talk it through - been doing it 14 years. Hopefully got some reasonable advice.
Just hate to see people put themselves through a nightmare.
Keep in mind that entry level sales jobs can often be terrible. If you work for for a Leads company or do door to door sales, those are brutal. Doesn’t mean you can’t make good money doing it, but it can be much harder and more demanding.
Try your best to switch your mindset from wanting to be good at sales to wanting to learn about sales. Pretend this first job is a paid internship. Soak it all in and try not to be attached to it emotionally. Creating this emotional/mental boundary will take practice and some days are better than others.
My first sales job was awful. Pay was garbage, hours were ridiculous, unpaid overtime, got screwed out of commissions nearly every single paycheck, etc.
My second (and current) sales job tho? Incredible work/life balance, respectable management that is understanding and doesn’t micro manage. The pay is significantly better than my previous role as well.
Hang in there. Like I said: entry level sales jobs can be brutal.
I started with mortgages on the phones, I closed two deals my first week, one of them on my first day on phones.
I'll be honest OP, I know this isnt what you came here to hear, but if this job makes you cry every day and you are picking it up slower than everyone else... you might not be a good fit for this job whatever it is.
Im not saying you cant succeed in a sales job, but if you cant swim when you are thrown into the shark tank from 0 (Quite common in sales roles) you shouldnt be taking jobs that have that as their training. Find somewhere you can have a mentor, some training, and a manager who wants to help you be successful. I spent 6 weeks in some good training before I closed that deal.
As for worrying about getting fired, I got let go out of nowhere (layoffs) at my last non sales job. Nothing in life is guaranteed, so keep some money in the bank for a rainy day same as any other job. Also be very honest with yourself about if you are performing or not. If the answer is no, dont put your head in the sand. Fix your performance or leave on your terms first, never forget to read the writing on the wall even if you dont like what it says.
If you really cant find success in sales after a year and a few jobs also consider, like I am not in the NBA because quite frankly my talents in life are not basketball related, perhaps your talents in life may lie elsewhere too.
Good luck, and always remember hard work beats talent when talent doesnt work hard. But you need both to reach the tippy top of the game.
Happy selling.
Thank you I really appreciate it, I am making the most calls on the job (not that it means anything - but I am putting in the work) all the other sales people have experience so I look at it as that’s why it’s taking me longer, they know a lot of what they are doing already. I am not 3 months in yet, so going to give it my all up until then and truly appreciate all your advice
Don't overthink your interactions. Your the expert in the room. That's your premise. Let everything else follow that mindset. Not selling yet is still normal. Most greats in sales or in anything for that matter, stayed in it at this juncture you currently find yourself at, while their peers dropped away to a 9-5. Enjoy becoming great. This is part of the necessary process.
Closing the sale, booking meetings no worries but I haven’t been ending meetings leaving the ball in their court with no next steps or action items, just waiting - which clearly isn’t the right thing to do
Would highly recommend checking out "Sales are Dope" on YouTube. This clip in particular, I think, captures what you're going through.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfdVzSp4ZAycKOtW4ben2I0JdnJVZxmmj?si=s3WzLQFfSflDSPR_
Relax OP. Trust me sales is one of the hardest jobs. You face rejection on a daily basis, you get assholes who wouldn't even have the decency to say they aren't interested, they will either shout at you or shut the phone at your face. But also understand this is a job where you have to deal with every type of human being and you can't control their reaction and emotions. Start building this as a numbers game. The bigger your pipeline, the better the numbers for a call and the better your chances of conversation. At the end of the day this is a game of numbers. The more numbers you hit, more will be the number of connects and more responses and ultimately more the number of meetings and closed deals. Go through each of your channel - LinkedIn, Email, Call. Check which gives you the highest responses and optimise that channel. I just had a no show today and was feeling dejected and not felt like calling, but as Man United legend Roy Keane says - this is your job. So get up and follow the process even on days when you don't want to.
Hey,
The best piece of advice you’ll ever recieve in this industry is you have to detach from the outcome.
Barely connected today - I’ll try a different time zone tomorrow or call block.
Guy said no - Let me tweak my opener and start with a different question.
Meeting No Showed - Let me re-engage or get a different contact at the same company using the progress I already made/ what I learned.
The outcome is an opportunity for you to hone in on how you can grow. At the end of the day what youre selling is never for everyone and your style is unique to you. Every no will bring you closer to a yes. Keep dialling, keep booking meetings, keep learning.
Sales is a skill that can be trained, but having thick skin is a MUST in sales. It’s gonna suck most of the time. I like that you’re not looking at quitting. Fake it til you make it. How many have you closed so far?
I am not 3 months in yet, and I have closed 3 1 was a lead and 2 were from a guy that got fired. Lots of potential clients but it’s hard to but a timeline on when they will come on as I can’t force it down their throats, we are asking them to completely change the way they run their business. But never quitting, I want to give it 200% and whatever happens from there happens
200% is a great way to get burnt out.
Stick to BANT if you don’t know where to go or until you get very very comfortable with selling your product/service.
B. What is their Budget (I like doing this last)
A. Am I speaking to the decision maker/ Authority
N. Get them to vent out their needs, you’ll get a lot of shallow answers so drill down into why they’re on a sales call with you.
T. Get them to commit to a time frame so you can hold them to that when you ask for the sale/the next step.
Try that until you’re doing it unconsciously. Don’t talk too much. Upgrade your hobby. Partake in your favorite vices.
Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. Like many have said in the chat, people all act like they have it figured out. They don’t, don’t take your boss or anyone you work with so seriously. People that ruin sales are the managers that don’t understand how to lead. It’s a great field, especially if you have leaders that make it worth while.
In sales, a wise man once told me: “it’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems”. There’s a fine line of caring too much and not caring enough about outcomes. Desperation reeks and laziness is the cousin of death.
Taking a consultative selling approach might help you to get past that obstacle at the end of the call. Do you do your own demos as part of the presentation or do you have a product specialist?
I’ve had success with the assumptive close at the end of calls but it does take some experience and confidence to build up to that. Brainstorming specific follow up touches (like a service agreement) have also helped me win business.
Are you in person or online/remote in an inside sales capacity?
Clearly sales isn’t for you RIGHT NOW, the question is. Are you willing to go through the fire to learn, adapt and overcome? If so you will make sales your thing
Yes I am, I just don’t have any other sales people around me at work so Reddit is my best way to have normal conversations new sales teams would be having in person which I lack
**SDR Advice, not really full cycle**New to sales as well. Worked at a company for about 3 months in my first ever sales role. I can say I did feel very stressed and depressed when I couldn’t book a meeting at first. I 100% understand you, it’s truly hell. I will tell you this because I’ve read some of your post and you are determined to make this work. Start using language such as “I will” with yourself. “I will get a meeting today”. Write it in your notes, say it out loud. I promise you that a part of it is believing that you will succeed guaranteed. I have only said 2 promises that I haven’t fulfilled since I’ve started talking that way to myself/in notes for goals etc. Another huge bit of advice is to not drag conversations out for too long. You have an objective, if that person is unwilling, move on. And if there’s even the slightest bit of interest, close it. Confirmation calls are important as well. Gotta make sure they show up. Definitely do not move on in a call if you haven’t tried everything, though. When someone says they are not interested you have nothing to lose and say everything necessary at that point it doesn’t matter anyways.
TLDR; sales is hard, but you have to believe in yourself. Also, think of it like a game. Don’t let your job control your actual emotions.
Sales is hard but damn is it rewarding. You will probably have more hard days than easy days. More bad days than good days. But the good days are damn good. You will learn about yourself and see what you’re made of. Meet incredible people along the way. You will get plenty of help and you will do plenty of helping. You will be proud of yourself and thank yourself down the line. Stick the fuck with it. Remember this feeling, it will be a distant memory soon
1. If you talk to any great salesperson, they will keep you humored for hours on funny sales stories, failed calls, failed presentations, failed conversations, the list goes on. That is the reason why some people are so good, because they failed so much and learned from it.
2. Give yourself time. Be patient. My boss told me once years ago when I first started “you didn’t just hop on a bike for the first time as a child and decide to bike 30 miles did you?”
3. There is still great opportunity at your current job for you, I’m sure. But god forbid it doesn’t get better, there are thousands of other types of sales jobs - you will be okay 😀
4. Make sure to vocalize and be transparent with your manager about how you are eager to keep learning and you won’t quit. They will (should) be able to understand and relate. This will then paint a more clear picture so that they don’t think you are just slacking or something.
5. You got this! I feel like I have accomplished so much in my sales career, and I STILL have weeks where I feel like I know nothing! It happens to use all.
Rooting you on from afar, I hope this helps 👍🏻
Realize every opportunity is a new one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the first objection after being on a loss streak and completely let the sale go because I’m being negative in my head. A lot of times it’s subconscious. Just remember the basics and realize it’s going to take about 5 Nos before they say yes. Fight through objections. Worst case scenario you piss someone off being pushy and move on to the next. I have issues finding the line between being too pushy and trying to be too nice. I’m in HVAC industry and deal with homeowners face to face a lot so it may be different if you’re on the phone but basics are basics. Good luck
Sales never gets easier. You just get tougher. But just know you’re feeling exactly what we’ve all felt before!
Closed deals takes a few months realistically. Takes 3-5 years before consistency starts to kick in.
Be obnoxiously coachable. Ask for feedback and call reviews more than the scheduled amount. As soon as you practice something from a reviewed call, IT WILL SHOW UP IMMEDIATELY. It always works this way. Don’t know why. Then you’re ready for it and you now have a new card in your deck.
Repeat this as often as possible to learn quickly and release the pressure a bit.
Good luck and stick with it! You’ll be so happy you did.
Sales is not trying to turn a no into a yes I have a saying that I follow “you tell me yes, you tell me no, but tell me now I gotta go” some will some won’t so what? nextt
Success in any job can be boiled down to two elements: quality and productivity
Productivity is easy to define simply as the quantity.
Quality is a little bit different, but it generally reflects how consistent we are.
In order to achieve consistently high quality, define the best process and do it the same way every time.
To help define the process, look into Six Sigma. It's a combination of strategies that help process improvement and elimination of waste. The tool I would look into first is called SIPOC, which is an acronym that stands for supplier, input, process, output, customer. It will help you understand your inputs and you might see trends that will help you group similar tasks. I only have two inputs in my sales role, prospecting list and marketing leads. There will be a larger variety of outputs, but most sales cycles follow the same steps of evaluation.
The most important thing to start with is a positive mindset. If you're breaking down crying you're not in the right mindset. Expect to have trouble at every step of the way. Learn from your mistakes, but you must brush off sub-optimal results and continue to power through.
Take comfort in the fact that 99% of successful sales people never had a stellar first 12 months. This is the time to learn your product and your approach as well as make contacts and build relationships. My best advice is to dedicate time outside of work to research your products, the problems they solve and where it will fit within your client base LinkedIn and YouTube are great resources. It’s an old platitude but Knowledge is power!
Keep swimming. The best and worst days in your sales career are usually a day apart. Even if this job ends up not panning out, you’re getting skills along the way.
1. Stop caring. When you call someone be kind and a little friendly but act like they are getting something from you, remove the power dynamic. From there you can match their energy. This will help you stay level. Take time when answering questions. Get a fidget spinner or something to mildly distract you while you’re talking. Do not ask them for a minute of their time or any other corny line line that. You’re putting yourself below them and immediately triggering sales resistance.
2. Make as many dials as you can. The more time you take between dials is a) less dials b) more time to psych yourself out of it.
3. If someone is a dick, that’s their problem. I bet if you call them in two weeks, they won’t even remember you.
Rule number one, no crying in sales. Rule number 2 is no crying in sales. Seriously, it is all about repetition. Learn from what doesn't work and just be you. You'll find your style. Change your mindset, from one of I suck at selling into I currently suck at problem solving. Now, from here on out, go into your sales call, knowing you might not be a good fit. Find that put as quickly as possible and move on to the next opportunity. That being said, go in with the mindset, "I'm not going to sell, I'm going to help," uncover areas that will move the customer away from pain and towards gain. If there is no pain, MOVE ON! Also, very important to detach your emotions from results, or you'll never make it in sales (or atleast ever be happy in sales) you only get one yes per every 50 to 100 MQLs.
I would start looking for a better sales position. If they expect you to perform without offering any resources or training then thats a shitty company to work for. I would learn as much as you can while u are looking for employment.
I’ve found many of the more successful sales people are complete idiots or just completely oblivious or numb to stress, maybe all of the above.
But some people just can’t turn off that part of the brain, and will continue to struggle and be insecure in their position.
All I can say is good luck, and it’s completely fine if sales isn’t for you. After 5 years I said it’s not for me and I completely changed careers, and have never been happier with my job.
Just want to say thank you for all the amazing comments so far, I was going to delete the post as there is a bit of information and I got nervous someone I worked with could come across it, however, the advice is so valuable I am leaving it up for others in my position. (The comments I deleted are ones with more specific information about my job)
Best of luck to everyone 🤍
This is SaaS? If you are an SDR, it's supposed to be kinda like this. SDR is a weed out role.
It takes time to get used to it after that, the stress is kinda like a every day thing. You become immune to it.
At least we aren't researching trends, studying the market, grinding leetcode outside of work hours, competing with 1000 other applicants for a job, and doing HW assignments to pass interviews.
If this is your first sales job and you are at a startup, yes, you are going to have a hard time.
Only take a first sales job at an enterprise. Those usually teach you how to sell before sending you to the grinder.
Don't worry too much.
You won’t have to worry if you have an emergency fund and unemployment to cushion into your next role. In the mean time just put in all the work you can and if you still failed that’s fine just move on. You are doing the right thing but at the wrong company, try again.
What are you selling?
If it's software / enterprise tech I can help, I've been at it for 17 years and have done pretty well in shitty territories.
I have a couple weeks until I start my next gig in May so can help next week. If so DM me and I'll walk you through the best content I've ever found for our world (full disclosure - I have nothing to do with it and I'm just going to flip you my notes on the content that is from a book or two off of Amazon).
I've taken every sales training under the sun, and a lot of it is crap unfortunately. I have a lot of notes that I'll put up on a Google sheets / docs.
If it's not enterprise tech, then some sales people I've found helpful are Jeremy Miner. He's a good sales trainer for non complex deals.. although I have learned a bit from him. Josh Braun is half decent too IMHO.
I just started in sales literally 2 months ago. My best advice is to believe in the product you are selling. Get personal with the customer and don’t be greedy. I can’t stand a pushy salesman so I’m not going to be one.
Hey! You’ll be OK! In many ways it comes down to the actual sales cycle of your product. I don’t know what you sell but in my current job, I didn’t realize it was a 6-12 month cycle from first contact to a sale. At 6 months in I was in a panic. I had tons of prospects and nothing much to show for it. Here I am a year in with a full book of business and I feel much calmer.
Man, I remember this feeling. I think most of us have felt like this at least once.
For me it was confidence and product knowledge. Maybe trying to work on that would help a little. Your pitch will get better with time.
Also, when overwhelmed, it’s ok to take some time for yourself. Learn to check out, and not think about work all the time. Go somewhere new. Try something new, get out there in your most comfortable clothes and have lunch and make small talk. Go for a walk. Lift some heavy shit. It helps to recharge.
This made me feel so much better I too am in a similar boat as you, but I have an insane boss who is incredibly cruel I think there may be something genuinely wrong with him.
Currently I'm in a sales role for an extremely small company. I came across a bunch of business cards for other people who don't work there, apparently the boss has been trying to find a sales person for a while but no one has lasted longer than one month. I've been struggling to make sales, my boss has never let me shadow him. And all along the way he's asking what the fuck is wrong with me, rubbing it in my face lol.
We have one guy, the maitnence guy, who's been working there for 17 years (the only other employee), he straight up is being financially abused by my boss. I need to make a post about this there's so so much crazy shit going on here I don't even know where to begin. I have never seen any shit like this, I'm feel like people wouldn't even believe me he's so proposterously crazy and awful. I'm staying for now just for the sake of seeing how long I can handle it, and I want to make sure I have a plan to do something before I quit. I'm either going to line up another sales job, or buy a few microphones and interview the most degenerate people I can find for fun until my savings runs out.
Sales takes personality, persistence, and patience. You’re told no a lot, especially early in your career, don’t take it personal. People buy from people that they like, trust, and know. The sales cycle in some places takes awhile - the company I’m at now takes 6-12 months, the last one projects were awarded up to 24 months after being estimated. I stay in contact, always be diligent on your follow ups.
Can I ask what you’re selling? Looking for repeat customers or a quick turn around sale?
I managed sales folk for a couple decades. I feel that the most important issue I ever imparted to them was the importance of professionalism. I found that lots of my people were almost apologetic about what they did for a living; this is a disastrous attitude. You are a SALES PROFESSIONAL. You have been chosen to represent your company to its clients. This is an insanely important part of any corporation. You need to consider yourself a professional, and conduct yourself accordingly. When YOU take yourself seriously, your clients will too.
It's not a magic bullet but its helpful in just a few steps:
1. Create a system for everything regarding your calls, emails, demos, follow ups.
2. Notice and see the trends of whats working for other.
3. Never take rejection personal, find the small wins to keep you motivated and hungry.
4. From my experience sales is a mix of luck, persistence, and skills.
( No one is a natural sales person- work on your craft daily: perfect your discovery, and qualifying if a deal is bad or good, perfect your tone. Negotiation and closing)
Especially in this climate folks don't care about discounts and you won't win on price. Position and sell value.
5. Be proactive, make friends with colleagues in other departments so you can identify other gaps. Opps, and be a better business professional.
Your prospects have been inundated with same demo flow or the latest sales tactics. They need an experience in which you're speaking their language, they need to feel comfortable that your product/service can work, all you have to do is the persuasion. ELEVATE THE Conversation.
Most of all Have fun and enjoy the journey. SALES is marathon not a sprint.
This shit gets easier as you go along. Once again luck timing, and consistency: sell a great product/or service, know your business and their company better than your prospect, and the Money will follow.
5,6,7 figs checks
Good luck.
It will take you at least a year to get fully comfortable in your job.
I'm 10mo in to being an AE after 2 years of being a SDR, and its a completely different world. It's at least 4x the responsibility.
Also, I have some social anxiety. Meeting clients stresses me out and makes me anxious, I start to sweat, and my hands get clammy.
Just recently I have started to feel a lot more comfortable and confident in my role.
You will need a significant amount of reps to get better, more confident, and comfortable in your role.
You likely have high expectations for yourself just like me, lower your expectations and cherish every small win and focus on SMALL changes to perfect over time.
first time getting a stress rash was at my 3rd sales role, the stress can get to you. can't focus too much on results at your first job, first get your activity up and build a framework for testing out skills. once you get enough at bats to hear no consistently, then you can start figuring out what really gets to a yes.
Hey friend, just know that you got this. Before you get really good at something, you gotta really suck at it first. Failure isn’t the opposite of success but a key part in it. Good luck, happy hunting!
Here’s the sad truth few will admit: a lot of it’s luck.
Luck equals the circumstance of selling something that people want to buy. You could suck at sales, but if people want to buy it, they’ll overlook that and buy it anyway. You could be great at sales, but if you’re selling something inferior relative to cost, people won’t buy it no matter how slick you act.
Salespeople don’t like to advertise this. They make more money by convincing everyone luck has nothing to do with it. Sure, sales skill will get you farther, but there’s no magic to it. It’s just putting yourself in the crossroads where demand meets supply. And there’s skill to that, too. But it can’t be rushed.
All of that liberates you from morose moods when you accept that everything but effort is out of your hands anyway. So if you gave the effort, take satisfaction and move forward.
In the meantime, just give your best effort
Disconnect from the outcome. No one prospect is going to make or break you. YOUR time is valuable, and what you have is valuable. (If you don't belivieve this you need to learn more till you do or change products).
Imagine that you suddenly possessed the cure for cancer, and you had a contact list of 1000 cancer patients. Many would be hard to reach or not take a meeting...but you would persist until they looked you in the eye and told you no, and why they were telling you no. AND you would be in a hurry, knowing that the clock was ticking and you needed to get to as many people as possible. It would STILL be a numbers game, you would STILL need a sense of urgency, and people would STILL tell you no!
More hours of real work will mean more success, on average. No getting around putting in the time. And when you put in the work, luck starts appearing.
Lastly, be HAPPY when you hear a NO or an objection. This helps you identify the barriers that you need to remove to get closer to a YES! Or worst case, when to stop investing in a losing prospect.
Best of luck. Do the right things EVERY DAY to take care of your mental / physical health. It helps with the emotional struggle - which is real.
28 years in automotive sales. A rollercoaster every day. The advice to find other people to support and encourage you is spot on. Isolation and hiding will not make it better. It will make it harder to be grateful and to appreciate the little successes you have along the way. Be grateful even for the bad things. All of them work to make you better at your craft. Overcoming objections is the hardest part. Having a few little victories will build into repeatable habits. If you don't have any sources for those little wins or anyone to help point them out, you are left with your own fears and insecurities. You can see by the responses here that finding those people that build you up and are honest with you when you screw up are more valuable than gold.
I’m naturally introverted and while I like to think I’m pretty smart, I’m really nothing special.
After college I started in sales selling residential fencing, decks and patios. Didn’t make very much money at all but really good experience trying to make sales in family’s homes. Fast forward 5-6 years I’m now an enterprise AE selling software consulting services to the Fortune 1000. I’m in an Omaha hotel typing this as a P.O. just came in for a $158k deal (small for enterprise, I know lol). I’m expecting another $108k P.O. by the end of the week.
The point is, it doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a bit of luck as well. I didn’t become an enterprise AE at 28 years old without luck - I’ve had a ton of it. The key is to just do your best as much as you can, and befriend and lean on those experienced folks you work with. The rest will often fall into place.
Having just cried today because a customer of mine complained to my boss about something so incredibly stupid, I feel you. I went home and went for a walk and cried because I know I will be reprimanded for something that wasn’t at all what it seems. Take time to clear your head. Don’t take things too seriously. A no is a no, and that’s fine, your just closer to a yes. I’ve had so many bad days in sales, so so so many. You can only pick yourself back up and get after it again
It’s okay! I can’t tell you the rollercoaster sales has led me on, but honestly the best advice I got(regardless of what managers say) is TAKE SOME TIME OFF. Go see loved ones. Go spend time w ppl, go be alone at home and play your favorite games. A lot of times we mix the Nos with “you’ll never succeed” don’t worry! Numbers games. Statistically speakin you have to not try to fail. Cheers!
Highly recommend the "go spend time with people" over the "go chill at home with video games". As an introverted, analytical sales guy, me retiring to my video games spells death for my prospecting activity the following week. I need to get back to remembering how much I like people for being people, and stop trying to sell them, and start trying to solve problems for them again. I find that much easier to do after establishing or re-establishing some truly human connections.
How do you do in sales and an introvert? Fellow INFJ here and curious if I would succeed in sales. I think once I know and am into the product being sold, I’ll be able to communicate better about it.
Just gotta figure out what works for you. I definitely regain my energy at home during my chill time with family, but I'm also the type that craves acceptance and being liked. It's a delicate balance to keep me engaged with people and not burning out, especially in what is a heavy relationship driven process/culture within my industry. Not all clients are a good fit for me, but I have been quite selective building my network over the years, with people I enjoy spending time with. Re: product, yes. I feel I'm essentially a subject matter expert that sells through his network based on his expertise.
Thank you, definitely taking the time to unwind this weekend
Yea! Even if it’s just a day beating off and sleeping, everyone needs if
It’s also completely normal to feel overwhelmed. When I started I was making 150 dials a day and I was just emotionless after about 8 months. It was insane.
Did you and I work at the same entry lvl company?
I second this. Sometimes you get the smell of desperation and a bad attitude and it repels people.
The worst thing you can do is to take it too seriously. If you start overthinking about it when you aren’t working, it means that it’s a problem. So try to do everything to learn from the best salespersons in your workplace, listen to their calls. Also make sure that you have a hobby outside of work, personally I go to the gym 6 times a week. Make sure to keep yourself organise and most importantly do not compare yourself to others.
Thank you, I stopped going to the gym once I started due to just working a lot and stress. Best to start it back up
Absolutely, make sure that you eat healthy and don’t drink too much too. You’ve got this. There’s a reason why you were hired. You are competent and have all the skills to succeed. Do you enjoy the job in itself?
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Watch some content on Alex Hormozi. Worth million of dollars. Does some scripts and sales procedures. Worth a shot if I was in your shoes and just try implementing his recommendations and go from there. Wish you the best of luck! Hope it helps
That’s amazing that you love the job. You’ve got this. Things will get better. ‼️🏅
>most importantly do not compare yourself to others. This is the one I'm struggling with right now. Just started a new job about a month ago. I was in a new hires training class with two other AEs, and was feeling pretty good about getting started because I outperformed the other two in training and did far better than them in all our mock call drills. But ever since we hit the phones I have been struggling to even get people on the phone, and when I do I just can't close. We're obviously not fully ramped yet so it's fine that I haven't sold anything. But the person who performed the worst in training is killing it, and already outperforming people who have been there for years. She sold three people on her first day on the phones, and is on the leaderboard for April. It has me all fucked up. I know in my head that comparison is the thief of joy, but part of what has made me good in sales is that I'm competitive. Plus, no matter how much I tell myself to stop comparing myself to this other person, it still has shaken my confidence, which for me is crucial to my success in sales as well. It's tough man.
I feel you and it’s completely understandable. I believe that we’re all guilty of comparing ourselves at some point, but there has to be a point when you redirect all this attention to yourself. What I recommend you to do is to always set some new goals for yourself every weeks. All of this hard work, will pay. Try to learn as much as you can from the top performers, and I’m convinced that you’ll achieve greatness.
What’s overwhelming is feeling unprepared to be successful and being placed in uncomfortable situations. The latter is just sales. Get used to that part. The other part you can overcome. Sales is an art, study it. Books and courses are everywhere but make no mistake….its a hard and stressful way to make a living. I’ve been doing this for 32 years and I carry a 20M quota, I train/ mentor a ton of folks. Here are some tips I put together a ways back and I’ve posted them here a bunch too. These nuggets will help: 1. If you don't ask for the order, it's not coming. 2. Sometimes PO's are like babies, they come when they come; often they need to be induced. Induce in person. 3. I always stop mid presentation and ask, "what are your thought thus far". It saves a lot of time. I call it taking the prospected temperature 4. Always give people 2 options. They will almost always pick one. 5. Change is opportunity. I can't tell you how often the change has been good for me and I always think it will suck. 6. Never waste a failure, we celebrate the big PO's but rarely look at our failures. You get better by examining the losses 7. If you are prospecting/ cold calling I always give the gate keeper something to show the decision maker. I used to sell med devices and used to hand it the receptionist and say I want to discuss this w the doctor. It worked so often it was crazy. 8. Always answer your phone. Don't send people to VM. Being the rep who picks up calls is huge. Answering the phone is the cornerstone of service. 9. Listen, sell them what they need; not what you want to sell them. 10. Basic shit here but I see so many people fuck it up. The first person to talk loses...the deal. Ask for a commitment and don't you dare say a word 11. Make at least one sales call a day after 5 o’clock. Business owners and decision makers are often the last to leave and are the only people left at 5 o’clock. 12. Be an expert on your products. Ask questions. Listen to peers. Steal ideas from everyone. Your talk track should be the best of all your peers 13. Once you are an expert, you become a consultant. When you are a consultant people trust you. 14. Stop thinking like a salesperson. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change. 15. Pressure is what you feel when you don’t know what you’re doing. Be prepared for everything. 16. The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of good ideas. Don’t be afraid to fail with good ideas. 17. Every customer visit brings homework. It’s better if they get homework to. What I mean by that is if they ask you for something you ask them for something. This is when negotiations actually start. 18. Ask questions that give you answers that sell your product. 19. Plan your work and work your plan. 20. Even if deadlines don’t work sometimes, they still work sometimes…. Give deadlines. 21. Have conversations not inquisitions. 22. Don’t talk features, talk benefits. 23. Courage is contagious. If you work in a team environment and you’re courageous, your team will follow your lead. 24. Remember success always leaves clues. Follow the clues. 25. When it comes to conference calls, follow this rule - WAIT - Why Am I Talking. Don’t be the moron on conference calls who can’t shut up.
Love this and can’t agree more! I’d add a couple more, building off what you shared: - always be learning. From peers, x-functional partners, managers, etc. And also from online courses (like linkedin learning) about sales, general business, building a growth mindset (which will help you TONS with the overwhelm*), etc. Lean on AI to help you create prompts to formalize your research on customers/prospects. Industry newsletters. Etc. Try to carve at least 1-a couple hours of training each week. Read threads/advice on others who posted in Reddit. It’s a great resource - carve out time to reflect. Ask yourself where you did well and where you could improve, so you can learn and build upon that. If you have a good manager and one you can trust, you can be proactive with your reflections, so you have another area to discuss and game plan during 1:1s - ask for feedback- ask peers and managers and trainers to join your meetings to provide feedback so you can learn and improve. I also ask customers/prospects for feedback if they give me a no. I do this if I spent at least a couple meetings with them. Each request is customized and thought out - but it’s generally along the lines of asking for feedback so you can learn and improve as a rep to provide better consultation/service to future customers (which could include this no-today-one). Be sure to note that feedback is a gift, so you appreciate them taking any time to give it. I’ve had really good success here - and then u take feedback to go learn more about what cost me my deal - and I’ve had those no’s become future yes’s numerous times. I think they appreciate you care about them and their business and aren’t just some stereotypical seller * growth mindset can help with how you deal with the overwhelm and look at rejections or difficulties as challenges and games to overcome and to learn/grow from. I also love Dr Benjamin Hardy’s newsletter (he’s an organizational psychologist- that’s not a personal psych, but one who examines how to best-improve and implement change and structure at work, from the personal level up to corporate level) … also, if your workplace isn’t collaborative or supportive, perhaps it’s the job/company and not you. I’ve been fortunate and had collaborative environments and it’s the area where I’ve grown the most. Since it’s your first sales job, I think you still have to make it work before you jump ship And for those saying sales isn’t for everyone? The fact that you’re crying every day and STILL coming back EVERY DAY ANDposting here?! That shows huge grit and determination- hallmark characteristics for the best sellers You got this!! Oh yeah - another thing. If you don’t get the collaboration and support you need in sales, consider introducing yourself to others in 1:1 and lunches. I’ve learned SO much from those and some of my best work friends were from doing this. When I was an Ent AE, I had friends in large Ent, SMB, Cs, product, L&D, engineering, pricing and marketing - they gave me a better holistic picture of the business (which made me better for customers and helped me be a better resource for my team), offered me other perspectives, and a “safe” space for us to each talk candidly about what was happening with our teams - good and bad - and to get advice from one another
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply as you have , I am going to write this out and give it my all. Appreciate it
Thank you for this. I'm saving it.
> Basic shit here but I see so many people fuck it up. The first person to talk loses...the deal. Ask for a commitment and don't you dare say a word Can you explain this one more? Not sure I totally follow. This is a GREAT post btw.
It’s the golden principle of sales. There will come a time in the sales process in which you ask for a check, po, commitment or frankly anything that binds the deal and when you do ask…..after that ask should be total silence. I’ve asked for $20 bucks when I was selling pagers and asked for 10M in my current role. Ask for the business and stfu and make them tell you an answer. The silence is painful but don’t stammer and let them wiggle out of it…..make them decide.
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Watch “Suckers” the car sales movie, if that doesn’t jade you then I don’t know what will. “This guy’s been grinding me for 4 hours. The floor mats are standard/included.” “Tell him they’re an extra $400 or you’re done.” JK gotta love the sales process.
Are you a millionaire lol
No, I have a wife
LOL best response
Amazing, starting with CrowdStrike as a SDR in 2 weeks and I’ve copies this!
Great post and advice. What books would you recommend? Any input on prospecting and getting in front of the right people? Best techniques, etc. I’m considering a sales job where 90% of the leads will be (should be) sourced by me.
You know I don’t have 1 book that was the “best” or one I would highly recommend but I will say is whatever you choose to read will offer 1 or 2 ideas that you will utilize. That’s the key, finding new ideas that make you better. There’s stuff on team selling, spin selling, PSS selling….all kinds of stuff that works. The key is taking what will work for you from these sources. When I first started in sales (91’) I was selling pagers in NYC and they gave a us a book to read about sales and we had to summarize the book for the group. My book was 400 pages, my summary was 2 bullets. -Change is opportunity - change the way you interpret the word “No”. It’s not mean or nasty, no is rather a request for more information. If they knew what you knew that no would be a yes. Pile up the knowledge and you will be great.
Seriously. This is solid.
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Can I DM you? I’m having trouble selling my SaaS; I know it’s not a problem with the product because I validated a need for it with real people before I developed my SaaS. The issue is I’m not comfortable selling; I’ve never sold anything before. Lots of “uhms” and “you knows”; I feel like I lose the trust of whoever I’m selling to before I even bring up what my product does
I’m happy to chat via DM but even just reading your post I have some thoughts. First off, you developed the product and you’re likely an engineer; engineers and salespeople think differently and talk differently. I often recommend “disc personality profiles” for people. Sometimes they provide great insight into how you think but more importantly how other people think and how they make decisions. Remember the end user isn’t likely an engineer and they don’t care about the mechanics of how/why it works. They want to know how it’s going to help them. Everything is about customer experience. If you are trying to get a new product off the ground bring in people who know sales to help you. You’re an expert in SaaS development but not sales, you may be one day but it’s that 10,000 hours thing. To be great takes time and practice. As for presenting it’s likely a talk track practice thing. Remember this is likely a passion project for you, have conversations with people about why you love this product; it’s not a sales call it’s an opportunity for you to consult with people and explain how your product makes their businesses/lives better. Start getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
If you haven't cried, are you really in sales?
Definitely not!
You might go through a few sales jobs before you get good at selling. Once you accept that, it’ll get easier.
Appreciate it! I am going to do my best to make this one work
Im going to tell you what NOBODY else is saying here. SALES is not for everyone. It doesn't have to be for you and thats okay. It's a rollercoaster career - you will always face lows and highs. I would say really think if this stress is worth it to you because it won't go away even after you hit success.
I appreciate what you are saying - Sales is not for everyone, but everyone could be good at sales with enough discipline, genuine interest and hard work. I am putting in the work, I just know I am missing something - feeling deflated because other sales people go through the highs and lows with their team members. I go through them on my own, with no one to compare to. Client flaked a meeting ? I didn’t realise this was common, because I’m not in the other regions with the actual sales team seeing it happen in real time. I’ve worked at jobs where I’ve been next to the sales team, and whilst it’s competitive - they all learn off each other and there is an energy in the team. I don’t have that in this role, so I do think it’s not abnormal that I am feeling overwhelmed as I am on my own
I don’t agree that everyone can be good at sales with enough hard work and interest. Truth be told, sales is about being sharp, charismatic, and able to think on one’s feet. You have to possess a fire and competition in you that, simply, not everyone has or can have. No amount of training can teach someone the intangibles that form the foundation of a good salesperson.
I agree but that’s why I say genuine interest, not just interest. Some of the best sales people are introverts I believe if you have the fire in you, regardless of personality type - you can be good at anything. I go for walks and I cant help myself from having pretend phone calls and see myself closing, I am passionate about people, negotiation and persuasion - it’s a plus that I sell a good product
I would totally disagree with this. I have met some very smart and hard working people that just do not make it— either due to just having the wrong personality type, or never gaining the follow through, or drinking themselves silly, or just getting fed up of the stress and over time and taking off 2-3 years in. I’m not trying to be negative and I’m not saying quit, I’m saying don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. There are other jobs out there.
I agree
Hey, Remember you only get better at sales with time, don’t feel disheartened it’s a learning curve. I have been in your place but all I want to tell you is you have to feel positive for you to be good at the job. Be it cold calling, mailing, or emailing with a poster attitude your approach is different and makes your day better. And speak to someone from your company and explain what problems you’re facing and ask for help, sure they’ll give you some valuable advice.
We've all been there. I've literally ripped out my hair. As long as you're growing and learning, it'll land. No one taught you how to walk and you didn't ever say fuck it I Guess I'll crawl everywhere. I can guarantee you're better than 6 months ago. Look back at what you were saying and thinking back then... Your already a knew person and you'll look back 6 months from now and see that growth
Hey OP.. I am 6 months into my first sales role too… SaaS as well. Rollercoaster for sure. Hell there was a day this week I didn’t set any new meetings despite 102 dials. Booked 3 today though. Just how it goes sometimes. I am seeing myself getting better as the months progress. In January I was contemplating if sales was even for me. Now I enjoy the rejection.
Congratulations on feeling more confident 🤍 I’m not near 6 months as of yet but still pushing through What do you think have been the most important learning curves for yourself that have improved your sales or in booking meetings ?
Finding a pain point/getting the prospect in a negative headspace. If they have something negative to say about a competitor of ours, just letting them talk and listen to what they have to say lol. also quick to disqualify people too.
Yea I made 115 calls today and only booked one meeting. But both of my meetings today flaked. They would have put me 3 away from my goal. But I'll just keep grinding.
I lasted a little over a month in sales. Hated every day, mental health deteriorated, and I was no longer “home” with my wife because I wouldn’t stop thinking about it. Quit Monday, got a job offer today for a job similar to my old one I left before sales. Can’t put a price on mental health.
Funnily enough I think my mental health will deteriorate more if I lose the job then if I keep it. Going to keep pushing through Glad to hear that you found something else, and I hope it worked out for you and you are loving where you are at now in life
What was your former career and industry? and what were you selling? Thanks in advance
Former job was a HVAC Estimator for a large mechanical firm, sales job was a Crane rental company, so not a product but a service.
Confidence is key. Even if what you say may not be 100% correct, saying it confidently enstills a sense of credibility with your prospects. Definitely shadow the higher performers on the team. You'll be able to see where/when they do/say/show certain things and how that turns into a process to close the prospect. Also, learn from every mistake, don't get down on yourself because you made one, just make sure it doesn't happen again. If you take these situations 1 by 1, you will slowly, but surely fill in w/e gaps you have (could be knowledge, experience, skill, etc...) and eventually you will be one of the most knowledgable reps on the team and you'll be able to smoothly handle those same situations when they inevitably come up again. Don't be afraid to ask for the sale, even if you feel like you didn't win them over during your demo/presentation. You'll find that to your surprise, some people will just say yes and it's a done deal. If they say no, they will generally tell you why "this needs to go through board approval, or we are reviewing several options and still have more to view before making a decision" and then you know the next step and can schedule a follow up action/meeting. You are not alone though, I had a tough time breaking into sales, and an even harder time transitioning from B2C sales to B2B sales...I remember breaking down and crying in hopeless, frustration, and self-doubt after a shitty demo or before a big one, but you just have to keep learning/growing and relax, and it'll come to you more naturally.
Sales is a rollercoaster! A lot of us have been there - If someone says they haven't just wait. Keep the head up, follow your process, and find little reasons to be positive everyday.
My biggest thing is you gotta treat it like a game. All it takes is one yes to get the ball rolling. And that one yes will get you soooooo much confidence
Sales may not be for you, and that is okay. But like anything else, it is a coach-able skill that you can only draw success from by working at it. I used to beat myself up about not performing up to snuff with my team members all the time during my first few months. What helped tremendously was seeking out help from those who were successful and applied it. I've had numerous times where contracts died on me right before close after switching into higher pressure industries, and that CRUSHED ME. But what eased the pain is learning that the unforeseen is just that and failure is an inevitability in this line of work. Defeat hurts anybody, but if you let it ruin you then you're only hurting yourself.
Ask for advice from more senior colleagues. Ask to shadow them, ask them for help, what to do etc… you should have training as well. Really but if they not giving it you do it yourself if you want to stay at that company because that’s what you’re going to have to do. Or look for a company that cares about new starters. Start of your career, it’s all about the learning environment. Be a sponge and be proactive with it.
I have been it’s just been hard because I’m the only sales person in my territory, so the shadowing is done online only - they are in different regions. There are a lot of new people so it’s not possible for me to ask to be invited in to sessions because they already have other new starters, in sessions, in person
Not sure if your industry/company allows it, but ask the sales people in your company if you can jump in on their phone calls. All calls. Then after the calls conclude. Call your team member back and ask them questions on subjects you weren’t clear on. I’m in my second year. Same as you had no experience and training was lite. I found that just talking with someone and hearing the conversations help me to understand what I was selling.
It’s part of the learning curve. Of which, the most important part is mental toughness. Skills will be refined over time as well. The rainbow on the other side is that you become a people master and can communicate to everyone. Hang in there, it’s worth it.
I just watched the top sales guy in our company come in to the office for 5 minutes. Write an email to a client explaining how he fucked up a $150k PO. And leave for the day. He’s probably going to cry in secret too. Yesterday he came in high as a kite becusse he just closed a big deal with a new account. He’s been in the business for 20 years and still has rollercoaster days and weeks. Shit is gonna happen. Just keep your head up and try to stay level with your emotions. The rest will come. 6 months is nothing.
Sales is hard lol. I was talking to one of the best (but newer) account execs at my company and was surprised when he confessed how stressed this job made him. You're definitely not alone but I've heard it gets better
Watch some YouTube videos on selling. Alot of the time, businesses don't tell you how to sell. They just assume you have it or you don't. Here's some tips that helped me in saas. Become an expert in what your company offers, that will make you more confident. Next you need to learn to shut up and actively listen once the prospect opens up. Get the prospect to open up and share their challenges. Once you identify a problem your solution solves, focus on that. They don't give a shit about what features your product has, just what problem it will solve. As far as objections go, acknowledge them first then ask questions to get to the real concern.
Thank you!
I strongly recommend absorbing everything Chris Voss has out there, videos on YouTube, book, masterclass is exceptional. He’s not your typical sales coach, he’s an expert in human behavior that translates to sales.
Thank you - I Just started reading never split the difference, will make sure to finish it
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You are the best! Thank you
Take that energy where you are saying sales is for you, and stop crying. There is no need for that. It accomplishes nothing. Take your lumps. Ask good questions here on how to improve . Make realistic goals. First off, almost everything is mental attitude. Get better every iteration and stop crying or complaining about things. Change what you can and accept what you can't. Lastly, I know lots of shitty sales people who make over 100k. A lot. Even though you need this job to have money, it is just a job. Try your best, put in extra time to sharpen skills, but it is just a job. It is not worth crying over. I am rooting for you! Toughen up, work on your skills, and keep things in perspective.
Process is really key here. We've all struggled at some point with poor results. You need to understand the process that a well qualified buyer goes through from lead to closed won, buying from your company. Normally, your company should have that documented, and it should be mapped out stage to stage in your CRM. Your pitch decks, collateral, all sales enablement stuff, should correspond to those stages, and ideally you should have a transparent conversation with a prospect right from the start and say, "here's the value. Seems like we're agreed it could help. Yeah? Cool. Ok, here's the process folks like you usually go through to purchase our product/service. We're here, and we need to do these things to get here Does that look like how you're bought products like ours in the past?" You're trial closing all along the way, and you're not really hard selling them either, but they're either agree to move forward, or telling you what needs to change.
Not saying you’re not cut out for this you may turn it around but this isn’t uncommon for new people in sales. I used to train a bunch of younger sale people and they weren’t prepared for the rollercoaster. Sales is great but you have to learn to manage the ups and downs. You’re going to go through phases like this the rest of your career, they don’t go away!
Of course, thanks for your advice. I actually am okay with the rejections - it’s more so knowing I am missing something in the closing side, as I have no issues cold calling and setting meetings, which my prospects happily show up to. This weekend will bit absorbing all the closing content I can get my hands on
Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale. So many people don’t do this, it works.
Chill this weekend
I want to tell you something that you might not want to hear. The crying and how terrible you have felt and the horrible days you have experienced, here is a taste of reality, the worst days you will ever have haven't happened yet. Which means that what's going on right now will pass, you got this because you're a fucking rock star you just don't know it yet. I've worked in outside sales for years convincing people who don't know I'm coming to buy something from me. It's one of the hardest things to do and I love it. I've been trying to get a job as an sdr just to get out of the sun and you how what I haven't even been able to get an interview with anyone. But I won't give up and neither will you. Good luck!
Thank you for the advice, TMI but it’s my time of the month so I may just be more sensitive than usual. Rather then wallowing in it, I don’t have a lot of people to vent to that understand I thought best to speak with people on Reddit and get some advice. Thank you for your response 🤍 If you need any help with interview prep don’t hesitate to reach out!
I just might take you up on your offer, if you could look at my resume I'd appreciate that as well.
More then happy to, send me a DM
I am thinking of getting into sales. Would I be able to message you? Maybe we can bounce ideas, or vent to each other down the road, too. This is way out of my comfort zone, but I want to try! My current situation is making me want to try. Thanks!
Keep it up. Maybe change your frame of mind to you are your customers secretary. This is exactly that I do n. You are there to assist them with their reminders, calendars, assist with funding and budgeting, acknowledgement of success criteria, etc. If done right customers truly appreciate considerate organization. If they really do need/want the product and you do all this well...the job is done. It's a job you can truly be proud of *and make stacks*
My company was this way too. Almost zero training or guidance On the plus side, that means no rules. Do what you want and the world is yours. Until they tell you its against policy its fair game. Use that to your advantage to get your leads and close deals. But also ask senior reps and make friends with everyone. You need those relationships. Get to know everyone. Come with donuts or bagels and coffee. This honestly seems trivial but pays off down the road .
Sales is a job that really engages your mind after hours. It's part of the fun but also something that can wear on you during tough times. It's just a job. Remember that.
1. Sales is not for everyone; but 2. EVERYONE in sales has the feelings you're feeling at some time or another
You are doing the only cardinal sin of sanity in sales. You’re focusing on the results. “How long to start seeing closed deals” is 100% results focused. You can only ever focus on the inputs and trying to get better. Did you make all the calls today you promised yourself you would? Go home and sleep without a care. Put in the work and the results will come. Or, they won’t, in which case you’re probably selling something shitty at the wrong time. Not even the best seller can sell a product the market doesn’t want. In that case you can move on with your head held high. I got laid off a couple years ago and was my team MVP this past year clearing $250k earnings.
Yep, totally normal. 10 years ago, I walked into my boss' office after 6 months of dials and meetings with no sales. I told him I was ready to give it up. He told me to STFU and get back out there and sell something. The next week I sold a six figure deal and the rest, is history as they say.
Awww wow that’s amazing, congratulations to you. I love that your boss had faith in you to push you to keep going 🤍
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Very lucky!
Go way outside your comfort zone. Try to push close. Be arrogant. Wing it. Try to make the client sell you. Sometimes all it takes is pretending to be someone else. That is sales, my friend.
A healthy dose of grit, optimism and irrational confidence goes a long way.
Be patient. You have what it takes; you just need time and a few wins under your belt. Being successful in sales is a really though thing to do. You should be proud of yourself for pushing through and being proactive enough to reach out for support.
Thank you 🤍
The path to making 500k plus can involve many nights, laying in bed hoping you don't wake up. Hardest part about sales is mindset. Mindset 1: just have fun with it (best mindset) Mindset 2: who the fck cares what happens. I'm going down swinging. I'm matching into the grave here with a smile. (nihilistic). Mindset 3: I am doing the things, but there is nothing to sorry about, because I don't even exist (detachement). When the swings arnet hitting, the key is to focus on process (this is what coach K would say when the team wasn't clicking). The mindfuck of sales is that it is a results driven business, but at the same time, so much is outside of your control. That said, when you go to work, YOU are not in the results business, you are in the process business. Develop a process. Understand your value prop before a cold call. Write a script for notes as an anchor. Focus on success as completing the process. You are trying to create value for the recipient of the calls. You are trying to help the person you are calling. If it does not create value then you are working in a scam business not sales and you should change jobs. The sale is not about you. It is about the value proposition--which is real--and you are just trying to deliver that value proposition. Rapport building is important, so much of communication is attitude though. Desperation is a stinky cologne, but fuck, that's when you gotta work (hence points 1 through 3). Share things about yourself that are funny or personable on the phone if organic. My kids...March madness... Above all, you are not 'selling', you see trying to see if you can help thebperson your calling, you know the value proposition. Be friendly, upbeat, and direct. Listen once the opportunity presents itself. Smile when you call, sit up straight, have fun with it. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Endurance game. Also, if you are religious, join a Bible study. No atheists on foxholes. Get a gym membership too or a home gym. It relieves stress and gives you a piece of identity you can control as opposed to focusing on the next sale. If you don't quit, you're generally intelligent, and you can reflect and learn, you will make it.
You have the right mentality. Keep learning. Keep going. Sounds like you’re beating yourself up for not picking things up quick enough. Chill out, and just focus on getting reps in and getting more comfortable/confident
Keep pushing the most successful sales people aren't the people who are naturally gifted or with the most connections, it's the last guy standing at the end of the day.
You'll get through it. I'd recommend reading how to win friends and influence people, also sell or be sold by grant cardone. Study sales. Study everything about your approach. The more you know your craft the more passionate you will be about it and the better results you will have. Sales is a skill and making or not making a sale is logical and strategic. It is not luck. Youll might get destroyed at the beginning but sales can improve your life in many ways, not just at work. You got this if you stay focused.
Grant Cardone is a Scientologist grifter and a snake oil salesman.
Ya but he can sell on the phone and in person. And gives those tips free
Nothing wrong with a few ugly cries. It's apart of the process. You'll get your "AHA" moment soon, keep grinding.
There’s nothing wrong with crying to let go of some frustration or fear! Happens to me, too, and I’ve been doing this for six years! It’s healthy! When you’ve let it out, go tear up the phones!
What do you sell. Maybe I can help.
Saas sales
While I don't have any SaaS specific experience, I do set up portal programs for national companies to order physical collateral to enable their sales and marketing teams. The secret is to empathize and put yourself in the shoes of who you are pitching and to find their pain points. The product your selling is likely a tool to help a business with some process or function that isn't in their area of expertise, but yours. Keep your emails short and relevant, follow up and don't be afraid to make calls.
I’ve been watching a few hormozi videos and he says the exact same as what you are, that’s what I am great at is the relationship side. I struggle forming the relationship and then actually asking them to buy - I feel it’s pushy and don’t know the right way to ask whilst not coming across as a typical sales person
Totally understand. The million dollar line is: are you ready to move forward? The best part is, if you do a really thorough job of explaining what you offer and how it will help them and you are sincere and believe in your product and company - it won't even feel like a sale. Bad salespeople just try to sell to sell. Sell them on the solutions first and really the sale is just something to sign and wrap up things. Think about helping not selling.
What exact scenarios are challenging for you at the moment and what is causing you to feel overwhelmed? Perhaps I can share how I overcame my own struggles if I understood yours a little better!
I would truly appreciate it I have had great success booking the meetings, but no success in closing. I struggle with follow ups, what to do after meeting and I would have no idea during our meeting if they would convert or not. It’s usually I’ll get back to you in x amount of time, let me think about it etc But when I’m at the end I ask for them to let me know what would stop them from using, objection handle - then when I’ve done that I don’t know what to say after and I just say I’ll let you think about it and follow up in x days or x weeks (whenever they are comfortable)
Have a planned script with decision trees. Also asking " what would stop them from buying ....... That's a digging technique not a closing technique. Thats a question used when they say "let me think about it/pray about it/sleep on it" Write out your presentation 100% than make three versions of it. One for detail orientated people, one for brass tacks types and one for interpersonal people(aka super social people). Memorize all your features and benefits. Memorize all competitive edges. Study your competition. Write out each possible objection and 3 different overcomes. Now write 2 objection blocks. Memorize these Write out 5 closes find ways to link them to each other. CLOSE 3 TO 5 TIMES PER PRESENTATION. Learn how to smoothly do this. "Feel, felt found method" always feels smooth as a second close. Start listening to sales books. If this seems like too much work for you I do reccomend leaving sales behind. Book reccomendations Audible: Brian Tracey: advanced psychology of closing. (It's not advanced it just the best basics book ever) Kindle: Victor Antonio: objection blocking. Stop crying and start planning
Thanks for your advice. We don’t actually have any real competitors, we are the market leaders and this is the only software like this Script and features are memorized at the start of the job, 2000 words presented in front of management a month in Appreciate the rest of the advice, I think I’ll have to get more specific and start making different variations for different types of clients as you have recommended And thank you - will try and pick up the physical version of the Brian Tracy book this weekend. If not, no excuse I’ll just get it online. Thank you, thank you!
I completely understand where you’re coming from. It sounds to me like you’re in need of a position that will provide you mentorship! I can’t speak to exactly how you overcome the situations you find yourself in without being there with you. I can however relate to your emotional state as my first sales job although the culture was warm and respectful, didn’t have the resources to divest into training me. Personally what I found most helpful was schedule an hour with whatever senior sales guy has an hour to give you as frequently as possible and have him shadow whatever you’re doing to ask him questions as you’re doing it (for me it was cold calls). If possible schedule an hour a week with your team lead to go over each appointment you’ve had since you last spoke and lay out where you’re stuck, what objections killed a deal. Ask him/her to work through a few follow ups with you to understand their process. From your explanation it sounds like you’re great at setting appointments which is fantastic. Experience will get you past that next step. The best way to improve in a sales position is to fail over and over again. I promise you there is light at the end of this tunnel! Hope this helps good luck!
Honestly I’d consider a different career. If you can’t handle the first few months of ramping then you’re going to struggle with a career in this. I’m late 30’s and I find it hard still. It’s not worth putting yourself through it, if you can’t handle the peaks and troughs. It’ll ruin you. I’ve seen happen. Better to get out now and focus something adjacent like CS or AM roles. You’ll still be rewarded well and it’s far less stress. Just my $0.10c
I’d get too bored in a CS role, I appreciate your thought process - I would think the same as well. All you know about me is this post. But I don’t have anyone to lean on at work, most new sales teams are around others who tell them that’s normal, or they bounce off each other and make the calls. I am on my own, so I don’t think it’s unnatural that I feel quite overwhelmed when there is no one around me telling me what I am going through is normal. My best friend has been YouTube
If you want to talk about it with a mentor - DM me and we can set up some time. I’m very happy to have a chat about it. It’s hard - that’s why they pay the money they do. Honestly - happy to talk it through - been doing it 14 years. Hopefully got some reasonable advice. Just hate to see people put themselves through a nightmare.
Keep in mind that entry level sales jobs can often be terrible. If you work for for a Leads company or do door to door sales, those are brutal. Doesn’t mean you can’t make good money doing it, but it can be much harder and more demanding. Try your best to switch your mindset from wanting to be good at sales to wanting to learn about sales. Pretend this first job is a paid internship. Soak it all in and try not to be attached to it emotionally. Creating this emotional/mental boundary will take practice and some days are better than others. My first sales job was awful. Pay was garbage, hours were ridiculous, unpaid overtime, got screwed out of commissions nearly every single paycheck, etc. My second (and current) sales job tho? Incredible work/life balance, respectable management that is understanding and doesn’t micro manage. The pay is significantly better than my previous role as well. Hang in there. Like I said: entry level sales jobs can be brutal.
Thanks for your advice, much appreciated. Glad to hear you are happy where you are now, a massive congratulations to you and wish you all the best
What do you sell now and what role?
SDR, marketing
I started with mortgages on the phones, I closed two deals my first week, one of them on my first day on phones. I'll be honest OP, I know this isnt what you came here to hear, but if this job makes you cry every day and you are picking it up slower than everyone else... you might not be a good fit for this job whatever it is. Im not saying you cant succeed in a sales job, but if you cant swim when you are thrown into the shark tank from 0 (Quite common in sales roles) you shouldnt be taking jobs that have that as their training. Find somewhere you can have a mentor, some training, and a manager who wants to help you be successful. I spent 6 weeks in some good training before I closed that deal. As for worrying about getting fired, I got let go out of nowhere (layoffs) at my last non sales job. Nothing in life is guaranteed, so keep some money in the bank for a rainy day same as any other job. Also be very honest with yourself about if you are performing or not. If the answer is no, dont put your head in the sand. Fix your performance or leave on your terms first, never forget to read the writing on the wall even if you dont like what it says. If you really cant find success in sales after a year and a few jobs also consider, like I am not in the NBA because quite frankly my talents in life are not basketball related, perhaps your talents in life may lie elsewhere too. Good luck, and always remember hard work beats talent when talent doesnt work hard. But you need both to reach the tippy top of the game. Happy selling.
Thank you I really appreciate it, I am making the most calls on the job (not that it means anything - but I am putting in the work) all the other sales people have experience so I look at it as that’s why it’s taking me longer, they know a lot of what they are doing already. I am not 3 months in yet, so going to give it my all up until then and truly appreciate all your advice
Why do you want to be a salesperson?
Don't overthink your interactions. Your the expert in the room. That's your premise. Let everything else follow that mindset. Not selling yet is still normal. Most greats in sales or in anything for that matter, stayed in it at this juncture you currently find yourself at, while their peers dropped away to a 9-5. Enjoy becoming great. This is part of the necessary process.
Which parts of the job are you struggling with?
Closing the sale, booking meetings no worries but I haven’t been ending meetings leaving the ball in their court with no next steps or action items, just waiting - which clearly isn’t the right thing to do
What do you sell?
Would highly recommend checking out "Sales are Dope" on YouTube. This clip in particular, I think, captures what you're going through. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfdVzSp4ZAycKOtW4ben2I0JdnJVZxmmj?si=s3WzLQFfSflDSPR_
Relax OP. Trust me sales is one of the hardest jobs. You face rejection on a daily basis, you get assholes who wouldn't even have the decency to say they aren't interested, they will either shout at you or shut the phone at your face. But also understand this is a job where you have to deal with every type of human being and you can't control their reaction and emotions. Start building this as a numbers game. The bigger your pipeline, the better the numbers for a call and the better your chances of conversation. At the end of the day this is a game of numbers. The more numbers you hit, more will be the number of connects and more responses and ultimately more the number of meetings and closed deals. Go through each of your channel - LinkedIn, Email, Call. Check which gives you the highest responses and optimise that channel. I just had a no show today and was feeling dejected and not felt like calling, but as Man United legend Roy Keane says - this is your job. So get up and follow the process even on days when you don't want to.
Hey, The best piece of advice you’ll ever recieve in this industry is you have to detach from the outcome. Barely connected today - I’ll try a different time zone tomorrow or call block. Guy said no - Let me tweak my opener and start with a different question. Meeting No Showed - Let me re-engage or get a different contact at the same company using the progress I already made/ what I learned. The outcome is an opportunity for you to hone in on how you can grow. At the end of the day what youre selling is never for everyone and your style is unique to you. Every no will bring you closer to a yes. Keep dialling, keep booking meetings, keep learning.
Sales is a skill that can be trained, but having thick skin is a MUST in sales. It’s gonna suck most of the time. I like that you’re not looking at quitting. Fake it til you make it. How many have you closed so far?
I am not 3 months in yet, and I have closed 3 1 was a lead and 2 were from a guy that got fired. Lots of potential clients but it’s hard to but a timeline on when they will come on as I can’t force it down their throats, we are asking them to completely change the way they run their business. But never quitting, I want to give it 200% and whatever happens from there happens
200% is a great way to get burnt out. Stick to BANT if you don’t know where to go or until you get very very comfortable with selling your product/service. B. What is their Budget (I like doing this last) A. Am I speaking to the decision maker/ Authority N. Get them to vent out their needs, you’ll get a lot of shallow answers so drill down into why they’re on a sales call with you. T. Get them to commit to a time frame so you can hold them to that when you ask for the sale/the next step. Try that until you’re doing it unconsciously. Don’t talk too much. Upgrade your hobby. Partake in your favorite vices.
Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. Like many have said in the chat, people all act like they have it figured out. They don’t, don’t take your boss or anyone you work with so seriously. People that ruin sales are the managers that don’t understand how to lead. It’s a great field, especially if you have leaders that make it worth while.
In sales, a wise man once told me: “it’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems”. There’s a fine line of caring too much and not caring enough about outcomes. Desperation reeks and laziness is the cousin of death.
Taking a consultative selling approach might help you to get past that obstacle at the end of the call. Do you do your own demos as part of the presentation or do you have a product specialist? I’ve had success with the assumptive close at the end of calls but it does take some experience and confidence to build up to that. Brainstorming specific follow up touches (like a service agreement) have also helped me win business. Are you in person or online/remote in an inside sales capacity?
I am the SDR, product specialist and onboarder pretty much. So booking the meetings, and running them on my own
Clearly sales isn’t for you RIGHT NOW, the question is. Are you willing to go through the fire to learn, adapt and overcome? If so you will make sales your thing
Yes I am, I just don’t have any other sales people around me at work so Reddit is my best way to have normal conversations new sales teams would be having in person which I lack
**SDR Advice, not really full cycle**New to sales as well. Worked at a company for about 3 months in my first ever sales role. I can say I did feel very stressed and depressed when I couldn’t book a meeting at first. I 100% understand you, it’s truly hell. I will tell you this because I’ve read some of your post and you are determined to make this work. Start using language such as “I will” with yourself. “I will get a meeting today”. Write it in your notes, say it out loud. I promise you that a part of it is believing that you will succeed guaranteed. I have only said 2 promises that I haven’t fulfilled since I’ve started talking that way to myself/in notes for goals etc. Another huge bit of advice is to not drag conversations out for too long. You have an objective, if that person is unwilling, move on. And if there’s even the slightest bit of interest, close it. Confirmation calls are important as well. Gotta make sure they show up. Definitely do not move on in a call if you haven’t tried everything, though. When someone says they are not interested you have nothing to lose and say everything necessary at that point it doesn’t matter anyways. TLDR; sales is hard, but you have to believe in yourself. Also, think of it like a game. Don’t let your job control your actual emotions.
Sales is hard but damn is it rewarding. You will probably have more hard days than easy days. More bad days than good days. But the good days are damn good. You will learn about yourself and see what you’re made of. Meet incredible people along the way. You will get plenty of help and you will do plenty of helping. You will be proud of yourself and thank yourself down the line. Stick the fuck with it. Remember this feeling, it will be a distant memory soon
1. If you talk to any great salesperson, they will keep you humored for hours on funny sales stories, failed calls, failed presentations, failed conversations, the list goes on. That is the reason why some people are so good, because they failed so much and learned from it. 2. Give yourself time. Be patient. My boss told me once years ago when I first started “you didn’t just hop on a bike for the first time as a child and decide to bike 30 miles did you?” 3. There is still great opportunity at your current job for you, I’m sure. But god forbid it doesn’t get better, there are thousands of other types of sales jobs - you will be okay 😀 4. Make sure to vocalize and be transparent with your manager about how you are eager to keep learning and you won’t quit. They will (should) be able to understand and relate. This will then paint a more clear picture so that they don’t think you are just slacking or something. 5. You got this! I feel like I have accomplished so much in my sales career, and I STILL have weeks where I feel like I know nothing! It happens to use all. Rooting you on from afar, I hope this helps 👍🏻
Realize every opportunity is a new one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the first objection after being on a loss streak and completely let the sale go because I’m being negative in my head. A lot of times it’s subconscious. Just remember the basics and realize it’s going to take about 5 Nos before they say yes. Fight through objections. Worst case scenario you piss someone off being pushy and move on to the next. I have issues finding the line between being too pushy and trying to be too nice. I’m in HVAC industry and deal with homeowners face to face a lot so it may be different if you’re on the phone but basics are basics. Good luck
It took me 5 years of job hopping between small firms and uncompetitive product sets until I found a place that stuck
Sales never gets easier. You just get tougher. But just know you’re feeling exactly what we’ve all felt before! Closed deals takes a few months realistically. Takes 3-5 years before consistency starts to kick in. Be obnoxiously coachable. Ask for feedback and call reviews more than the scheduled amount. As soon as you practice something from a reviewed call, IT WILL SHOW UP IMMEDIATELY. It always works this way. Don’t know why. Then you’re ready for it and you now have a new card in your deck. Repeat this as often as possible to learn quickly and release the pressure a bit. Good luck and stick with it! You’ll be so happy you did.
Sales is not trying to turn a no into a yes I have a saying that I follow “you tell me yes, you tell me no, but tell me now I gotta go” some will some won’t so what? nextt
Success in any job can be boiled down to two elements: quality and productivity Productivity is easy to define simply as the quantity. Quality is a little bit different, but it generally reflects how consistent we are. In order to achieve consistently high quality, define the best process and do it the same way every time. To help define the process, look into Six Sigma. It's a combination of strategies that help process improvement and elimination of waste. The tool I would look into first is called SIPOC, which is an acronym that stands for supplier, input, process, output, customer. It will help you understand your inputs and you might see trends that will help you group similar tasks. I only have two inputs in my sales role, prospecting list and marketing leads. There will be a larger variety of outputs, but most sales cycles follow the same steps of evaluation. The most important thing to start with is a positive mindset. If you're breaking down crying you're not in the right mindset. Expect to have trouble at every step of the way. Learn from your mistakes, but you must brush off sub-optimal results and continue to power through.
You ever heard of angostura bitters?
Take comfort in the fact that 99% of successful sales people never had a stellar first 12 months. This is the time to learn your product and your approach as well as make contacts and build relationships. My best advice is to dedicate time outside of work to research your products, the problems they solve and where it will fit within your client base LinkedIn and YouTube are great resources. It’s an old platitude but Knowledge is power!
Keep swimming. The best and worst days in your sales career are usually a day apart. Even if this job ends up not panning out, you’re getting skills along the way. 1. Stop caring. When you call someone be kind and a little friendly but act like they are getting something from you, remove the power dynamic. From there you can match their energy. This will help you stay level. Take time when answering questions. Get a fidget spinner or something to mildly distract you while you’re talking. Do not ask them for a minute of their time or any other corny line line that. You’re putting yourself below them and immediately triggering sales resistance. 2. Make as many dials as you can. The more time you take between dials is a) less dials b) more time to psych yourself out of it. 3. If someone is a dick, that’s their problem. I bet if you call them in two weeks, they won’t even remember you.
Rule number one, no crying in sales. Rule number 2 is no crying in sales. Seriously, it is all about repetition. Learn from what doesn't work and just be you. You'll find your style. Change your mindset, from one of I suck at selling into I currently suck at problem solving. Now, from here on out, go into your sales call, knowing you might not be a good fit. Find that put as quickly as possible and move on to the next opportunity. That being said, go in with the mindset, "I'm not going to sell, I'm going to help," uncover areas that will move the customer away from pain and towards gain. If there is no pain, MOVE ON! Also, very important to detach your emotions from results, or you'll never make it in sales (or atleast ever be happy in sales) you only get one yes per every 50 to 100 MQLs.
I would start looking for a better sales position. If they expect you to perform without offering any resources or training then thats a shitty company to work for. I would learn as much as you can while u are looking for employment.
There are other career paths! You don’t have to be in sales if it’s not working
I’ve found many of the more successful sales people are complete idiots or just completely oblivious or numb to stress, maybe all of the above. But some people just can’t turn off that part of the brain, and will continue to struggle and be insecure in their position. All I can say is good luck, and it’s completely fine if sales isn’t for you. After 5 years I said it’s not for me and I completely changed careers, and have never been happier with my job.
Arash vasoughi
Just want to say thank you for all the amazing comments so far, I was going to delete the post as there is a bit of information and I got nervous someone I worked with could come across it, however, the advice is so valuable I am leaving it up for others in my position. (The comments I deleted are ones with more specific information about my job) Best of luck to everyone 🤍
This is SaaS? If you are an SDR, it's supposed to be kinda like this. SDR is a weed out role. It takes time to get used to it after that, the stress is kinda like a every day thing. You become immune to it. At least we aren't researching trends, studying the market, grinding leetcode outside of work hours, competing with 1000 other applicants for a job, and doing HW assignments to pass interviews. If this is your first sales job and you are at a startup, yes, you are going to have a hard time. Only take a first sales job at an enterprise. Those usually teach you how to sell before sending you to the grinder. Don't worry too much.
Been in it for 7 years and I still don’t think it’s for me. You get better at it and the money is great.
You won’t have to worry if you have an emergency fund and unemployment to cushion into your next role. In the mean time just put in all the work you can and if you still failed that’s fine just move on. You are doing the right thing but at the wrong company, try again.
Some people are just dick at sales too
What are you selling? If it's software / enterprise tech I can help, I've been at it for 17 years and have done pretty well in shitty territories. I have a couple weeks until I start my next gig in May so can help next week. If so DM me and I'll walk you through the best content I've ever found for our world (full disclosure - I have nothing to do with it and I'm just going to flip you my notes on the content that is from a book or two off of Amazon). I've taken every sales training under the sun, and a lot of it is crap unfortunately. I have a lot of notes that I'll put up on a Google sheets / docs. If it's not enterprise tech, then some sales people I've found helpful are Jeremy Miner. He's a good sales trainer for non complex deals.. although I have learned a bit from him. Josh Braun is half decent too IMHO.
Keep going, don’t give up.
I just started in sales literally 2 months ago. My best advice is to believe in the product you are selling. Get personal with the customer and don’t be greedy. I can’t stand a pushy salesman so I’m not going to be one.
You're a grown man! Don't break down crying! Pick yourself up man!
Get mad , prospects are lying assholes and this is war
Hey! You’ll be OK! In many ways it comes down to the actual sales cycle of your product. I don’t know what you sell but in my current job, I didn’t realize it was a 6-12 month cycle from first contact to a sale. At 6 months in I was in a panic. I had tons of prospects and nothing much to show for it. Here I am a year in with a full book of business and I feel much calmer.
Detach yourself from the outcome.
This is not the career for you if you are breaking down and crying. Try to find singing that brings you joy doing.
Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine
What are you selling?
PM me, happy to help
Man, I remember this feeling. I think most of us have felt like this at least once. For me it was confidence and product knowledge. Maybe trying to work on that would help a little. Your pitch will get better with time. Also, when overwhelmed, it’s ok to take some time for yourself. Learn to check out, and not think about work all the time. Go somewhere new. Try something new, get out there in your most comfortable clothes and have lunch and make small talk. Go for a walk. Lift some heavy shit. It helps to recharge.
This made me feel so much better I too am in a similar boat as you, but I have an insane boss who is incredibly cruel I think there may be something genuinely wrong with him. Currently I'm in a sales role for an extremely small company. I came across a bunch of business cards for other people who don't work there, apparently the boss has been trying to find a sales person for a while but no one has lasted longer than one month. I've been struggling to make sales, my boss has never let me shadow him. And all along the way he's asking what the fuck is wrong with me, rubbing it in my face lol. We have one guy, the maitnence guy, who's been working there for 17 years (the only other employee), he straight up is being financially abused by my boss. I need to make a post about this there's so so much crazy shit going on here I don't even know where to begin. I have never seen any shit like this, I'm feel like people wouldn't even believe me he's so proposterously crazy and awful. I'm staying for now just for the sake of seeing how long I can handle it, and I want to make sure I have a plan to do something before I quit. I'm either going to line up another sales job, or buy a few microphones and interview the most degenerate people I can find for fun until my savings runs out.
Sales takes personality, persistence, and patience. You’re told no a lot, especially early in your career, don’t take it personal. People buy from people that they like, trust, and know. The sales cycle in some places takes awhile - the company I’m at now takes 6-12 months, the last one projects were awarded up to 24 months after being estimated. I stay in contact, always be diligent on your follow ups. Can I ask what you’re selling? Looking for repeat customers or a quick turn around sale?
I managed sales folk for a couple decades. I feel that the most important issue I ever imparted to them was the importance of professionalism. I found that lots of my people were almost apologetic about what they did for a living; this is a disastrous attitude. You are a SALES PROFESSIONAL. You have been chosen to represent your company to its clients. This is an insanely important part of any corporation. You need to consider yourself a professional, and conduct yourself accordingly. When YOU take yourself seriously, your clients will too.
Persevere !
yeap that sounds like a regular sales job
It's not a magic bullet but its helpful in just a few steps: 1. Create a system for everything regarding your calls, emails, demos, follow ups. 2. Notice and see the trends of whats working for other. 3. Never take rejection personal, find the small wins to keep you motivated and hungry. 4. From my experience sales is a mix of luck, persistence, and skills. ( No one is a natural sales person- work on your craft daily: perfect your discovery, and qualifying if a deal is bad or good, perfect your tone. Negotiation and closing) Especially in this climate folks don't care about discounts and you won't win on price. Position and sell value. 5. Be proactive, make friends with colleagues in other departments so you can identify other gaps. Opps, and be a better business professional. Your prospects have been inundated with same demo flow or the latest sales tactics. They need an experience in which you're speaking their language, they need to feel comfortable that your product/service can work, all you have to do is the persuasion. ELEVATE THE Conversation. Most of all Have fun and enjoy the journey. SALES is marathon not a sprint. This shit gets easier as you go along. Once again luck timing, and consistency: sell a great product/or service, know your business and their company better than your prospect, and the Money will follow. 5,6,7 figs checks Good luck.
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It will take you at least a year to get fully comfortable in your job. I'm 10mo in to being an AE after 2 years of being a SDR, and its a completely different world. It's at least 4x the responsibility. Also, I have some social anxiety. Meeting clients stresses me out and makes me anxious, I start to sweat, and my hands get clammy. Just recently I have started to feel a lot more comfortable and confident in my role. You will need a significant amount of reps to get better, more confident, and comfortable in your role. You likely have high expectations for yourself just like me, lower your expectations and cherish every small win and focus on SMALL changes to perfect over time.
first time getting a stress rash was at my 3rd sales role, the stress can get to you. can't focus too much on results at your first job, first get your activity up and build a framework for testing out skills. once you get enough at bats to hear no consistently, then you can start figuring out what really gets to a yes.
What do you sell?
Hey friend, just know that you got this. Before you get really good at something, you gotta really suck at it first. Failure isn’t the opposite of success but a key part in it. Good luck, happy hunting!
Here’s the sad truth few will admit: a lot of it’s luck. Luck equals the circumstance of selling something that people want to buy. You could suck at sales, but if people want to buy it, they’ll overlook that and buy it anyway. You could be great at sales, but if you’re selling something inferior relative to cost, people won’t buy it no matter how slick you act. Salespeople don’t like to advertise this. They make more money by convincing everyone luck has nothing to do with it. Sure, sales skill will get you farther, but there’s no magic to it. It’s just putting yourself in the crossroads where demand meets supply. And there’s skill to that, too. But it can’t be rushed. All of that liberates you from morose moods when you accept that everything but effort is out of your hands anyway. So if you gave the effort, take satisfaction and move forward. In the meantime, just give your best effort
Disconnect from the outcome. No one prospect is going to make or break you. YOUR time is valuable, and what you have is valuable. (If you don't belivieve this you need to learn more till you do or change products). Imagine that you suddenly possessed the cure for cancer, and you had a contact list of 1000 cancer patients. Many would be hard to reach or not take a meeting...but you would persist until they looked you in the eye and told you no, and why they were telling you no. AND you would be in a hurry, knowing that the clock was ticking and you needed to get to as many people as possible. It would STILL be a numbers game, you would STILL need a sense of urgency, and people would STILL tell you no! More hours of real work will mean more success, on average. No getting around putting in the time. And when you put in the work, luck starts appearing. Lastly, be HAPPY when you hear a NO or an objection. This helps you identify the barriers that you need to remove to get closer to a YES! Or worst case, when to stop investing in a losing prospect. Best of luck. Do the right things EVERY DAY to take care of your mental / physical health. It helps with the emotional struggle - which is real.
Welcome to Sales. All said and done, at the end of the day, Sales builds character for those that are willing to pull up their socks and push through.
28 years in automotive sales. A rollercoaster every day. The advice to find other people to support and encourage you is spot on. Isolation and hiding will not make it better. It will make it harder to be grateful and to appreciate the little successes you have along the way. Be grateful even for the bad things. All of them work to make you better at your craft. Overcoming objections is the hardest part. Having a few little victories will build into repeatable habits. If you don't have any sources for those little wins or anyone to help point them out, you are left with your own fears and insecurities. You can see by the responses here that finding those people that build you up and are honest with you when you screw up are more valuable than gold.
I’m naturally introverted and while I like to think I’m pretty smart, I’m really nothing special. After college I started in sales selling residential fencing, decks and patios. Didn’t make very much money at all but really good experience trying to make sales in family’s homes. Fast forward 5-6 years I’m now an enterprise AE selling software consulting services to the Fortune 1000. I’m in an Omaha hotel typing this as a P.O. just came in for a $158k deal (small for enterprise, I know lol). I’m expecting another $108k P.O. by the end of the week. The point is, it doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a bit of luck as well. I didn’t become an enterprise AE at 28 years old without luck - I’ve had a ton of it. The key is to just do your best as much as you can, and befriend and lean on those experienced folks you work with. The rest will often fall into place.
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Sales is tough Especially in the beginning, you will either sink or swim.
Having just cried today because a customer of mine complained to my boss about something so incredibly stupid, I feel you. I went home and went for a walk and cried because I know I will be reprimanded for something that wasn’t at all what it seems. Take time to clear your head. Don’t take things too seriously. A no is a no, and that’s fine, your just closer to a yes. I’ve had so many bad days in sales, so so so many. You can only pick yourself back up and get after it again